I’d like to introduce the newest member of our household, Sam the German Shepherd Dog!

He was born on December 6, which makes him about 13 weeks old.

We had such a hard time deciding on a name for him; originally we had two choices, with “Sam” being Isla’s pick. (Norah was dead-set on Tinkles, haha.) As time went on more and more solid choices were added to the list, but in the end we went with Sam because it would make Isla the happiest and there’s a lot of tie-ins to the other name we had picked. So, Sam I Am, after Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham, it was!

He was a bit sombre the first couple days we had him – it was such a big change going from the breeder’s outdoor kennel with a bunch of friends to a quiet, indoor house. Sam has now settling in quite well, and is getting along with his “big brother” Campbell awesomely! They’ll play with one another for 15-20 minutes before Sam gets tuckered out and falls asleep. (Dog babies are the same as human babies in that regard, ha!)

Of course, Isla and Norah both adore him as well! Norah was very excited to meet him and Isla is smitten that we chose the name she picked.

Life with a puppy is definitely an adventure; it’s been over 14 years since we’ve had one so there’s a lot of relearning, but Sam is so mellow and relaxed most of the time. We’ve been socializing him with people when I pick Isla up from school, and he’s content to just sit or lay by my side until Isla comes out. We’ve had a few accidents on the floor but nothing too crazy, and we’re slowly working on a routine that works.

Sam is proving to be an amazing dog to fill that void that Daphne left just under a year ago. I know there will never be another dog quite like her, but Sam is pretty gosh-darn close!

If you want, feel free to “Follow” Sam on Instagram: @SamIAm_theGSD. I never thought I’d be one of “those” people, but here we are, lol!

Side note: It’s common for German Shepherd puppies to have their ears glued together to help this stay upright faster. They’re born with floppy ears and they eventually go up on their own, but some breeders glue them to speed things along. Sam’s were glued but came undone a couple days ago. It doesn’t hurt them at all! (So don’t @ me!)