Rufus (minus Chaka Khan)

You've probably heard the rumor: the Wrights got a dog. Well, it's true. No shit. We literally adopted a dog. Here's the thing: Every time the kids ask us for a pet, we say yes. That's how we parent. The kids ask, we say yes. Doesn't matter if they deserve it, or if we can afford it, or whether we're dog people or pet people ... That's just how we get down -- give the kids what they want in the hopes that they'll leave us alone. This here's Rufus. He's a black, excuse me, African American lab mix. He's 1 and 1/2 years old and he weighs 85 pounds (I'll tell you how I know a little later). We adopted Rufus from the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas. (No, we were not going to get a Great Dane. Stop asking so many questions.) Rufus has lived his entire life in the shelter. So he doesn't really understand things like leashes, walks, the TV, mirrors, neighbors, the couch, Transformers, the washing machine, and definitely not the Wii -- one of his favorite chew toys is the Wii remote (replacement = $39 on Amazon). When we met Rufus, his name was Carlton. Click the link to see why Mark insisted on changing it. Mark actually wanted to call the pooch Nesta, for obvious reasons. I respected that ("respect, Mon"), but I thought we should call him Bob. Once again, the boys overruled us -- Marco chose the name, in honor of Rufus the naked mole rat from Kim Possible. (Again with the questions! Look, don't try to figure it out.) Here's what you need know: Rufus is his real name and he's cute as all get out. He doesn't like to walk. (Tonight, for example, Rufus escaped again, Mark chased him down in work shoes. Rufus refused to walk home, plopped down right in the street. I had to carry him back home. Rufus, not Mark.) The boys adore him. Marco likes to ride on his back. He won't sleep in his crate, prefers the couch. Something tells me this is going to be fun.