Muirfield resident Ashley Brooks wanted to do something BIG for her kids for Christmas. Their biggest Christmas present, however, didn’t come wrapped in a bow under the tree, but rather, it came wrapped in a bow bounding through their front door. A surprise gift from their parents, Lainey, the F1 standard sheepadoodle, became the newest member of the family on Christmas Eve.

To keep Lainey a surprise, Ashley and her husband drove 5+ hours to Nashville the day before Christmas Eve, where they met the four-month-old puppy at a breeder called Rockadoodles. They then drove back to Ohio on Christmas Eve. Though they did have to tell their kids a few white lies to pull it off, seeing the looks of surprise and joy on their faces when Lainey came running in made it all worth it.

Already, Lainey has made herself right at home. She wants to be by her family’s side at all times, following them from room to room and getting upset if she can’t share the company of someone in the family. She’s also become friendly with her neighbor, Maia, and loves playing with her. Though it’s been too cold for Lainey to go outside much, the family is confident she will make fast friends with every pup when springtime comes. 

So far, they have learned that Lainey loves playing fetch, especially on the tennis courts in the snow. She also likes cheese but is not so much a fan of peanut butter. 

The family loves everything about their new puppy, but what they love most is her sweet disposition and insanely fluffy fur that is so soft, it almost doesn’t feel real. In fact, her family considers it her special talent, saying she’s cute enough to stop traffic.

Although they delayed adding a furry friend to their family for years, they’re so grateful they finally took the leap and welcomed Lainey in. They’ve only had her for a short while, but already can’t imagine life without her. Clearly, as evidenced by the way she sticks to her family at all times, Lainey also can’t imagine her life with anyone else.