We have a new puppy! Meet Arlo, our German Shorthaired Pointer, and the story behind how he joined our family after saying goodbye to Grant’s beloved dog Jack.

Meet Arlo: Our Surprise New Puppy

We have a big surprise to share… we have a new puppy in our family! Meet Arlo, our sweet German Shorthaired Pointer puppy who has already completely stolen our hearts. Bringing Arlo home wasn’t something we had planned, and we thought it would be a long time before we had another dog. But sometimes life has a way of bringing the right thing into your life when you least expect it, and that’s exactly what happened with Arlo

Saying Goodbye to Jack

Before our new puppy Arlo came into our lives, Grant had an incredible dog named Jack. Jack was also a German Shorthaired Pointer and truly the best dog. Loyal, energetic, loving, and always ready for an adventure. Earlier this year we had to say goodbye to Jack after he was diagnosed with cancer. It was heartbreaking for Grant and really hard for all of us.

Losing a dog is such a painful kind of grief because they are so woven into your everyday life. Jack had been part of Grant’s life for so long, and he was such a good dog. He loved being outside, running, hiking, and going on adventures, and he had the sweetest personality. He was so good with the boys, and saying goodbye to him was incredibly difficult. Dogs really do become part of the family, and Jack absolutely was.

READ HOW I MET GRANT

How Jack Changed My Mind About Dogs

If I’m being honest, I’ve never really considered myself a big dog person. But having Jack around completely changed that. Watching how much joy he brought to Grant and the boys made me see dogs in a whole new way. He had this way of bringing everyone together. One of the biggest things I noticed was how much more time we spent outside as a family because of him. We even added him in our family costume for Halloween this year.

Walks, hikes, playing outside, exploring… Jack was always the reason we got out the door, and honestly it was so good for all of us. I also saw firsthand how special the bond between kids and a dog can be. Dogs teach kids responsibility, companionship, and unconditional love in such a beautiful way. Jack helped me see how much a dog can add to a family.

A Puppy Who Needed a Home

After Jack passed away, we really weren’t planning on getting another dog anytime soon. The goodbye had been hard, and we assumed we would wait quite a while. But then we heard about a puppy who needed a home. Arlo is the same breed as Jack a German Shorthaired Pointer and when we learned he was looking for a family, something about it just felt right.

Welcome Home Arlo

I was honestly really nervous about getting a puppy right now because I know how much work they are. Puppies are a lot, and I wasn’t sure if it was the right timing for us. Grant promised he would take on most of the work, especially those middle of the night wakeups, and he has completely kept that promise. He’s been the one getting up with Arlo at night, and thankfully Arlo has already been doing really well and is almost sleeping through the night.

So now we have this adorable, energetic little puppy running around our house. The boys are absolutely obsessed with him. Arlo is curious, playful, and already full of personality. We are quickly learning that German Shorthaired Pointer puppies have a lot of energy, which just means we’ll be spending even more time outside together as a family.

While no dog will ever replace Jack, we are so grateful for the joy he brought to our family and the way he helped us see how special having a dog can be. Now Arlo is starting a new chapter with us, and we’re excited for all the adventures ahead lots of walks, hikes, backyard playtime, and probably a little bit of puppy chaos too. But mostly, just a lot of love. Give me all your puppy tips in the comments below!

VIDEO: Meeting Arlo for the first time

The Puppy Essentials We Got for Arlo

Everything I got on Amazon for Arlo. My sister trains dogs and she suggested a lot of these that have been so helpful!

Did you see our other exciting news?

My Parents Moved to Utah