I saw in your blog post that you were looking into getting a dog. Growing up I always wanted a Husky… and then when Chris and I found and got one he ended up trying to kill a few cats and dragging me down slate hill rd. (literally dragging me, I was not on my feet) we had to return him tragically… but we ended up going to a humane society shelter in Delhi (Heart of the Catskills: http://www.heartofthecatskills.org) and we fell in love with the cutest puppy ever. She is a German Shepherd Rottweiler mix (possibly some lab in there). But the point to this lengthy comment is that if anything I would recommend getting a mut as their life expectancy is longer, they’re less prone to diseases like AIDS and Cancer, and they’re less likely to suffer from skin, stomach, and bone issues that are commone in pure breeds. Plus you get to help out a little animal who might not otherwise have a chance. We paid $85 with a $35 deposit for spay/neuter (which is refunded after you get them spayed or neuterd) she came with all of her shots and deworming done. And the people there are wonderful to work with, very good with their animals and have a beautiful trail with which to take the dogs on a trial walk. I highly recommend that!