In this family vlog, Victor Justin Rhodes, his wife Rebecca, and their children set out to find a new family dog. The video follows their decision‑making process, starting with the desire for a puppy and recalling past positive experiences with mutts. They discuss breed options, focusing on Australian Shepherds versus shelter mutts, weighing factors such as cost, size, activity level, and land requirements. The family researches locally, contacts a breeder in Hendersonville, and compares prices ($400‑$600 vs. $1,000+ for purebreds). They visit a local farm breeder, meet several litters, and interact with the puppies, ultimately selecting one. Along the way they purchase supplies—crates, water pans, and other gear—from a pet store, debating crate sizes based on expected adult weight. Throughout the vlog the parents balance practical concerns (budget, space, long‑term commitment) with the kids’ excitement and emotional attachment, culminating in a hopeful adoption of a new puppy.
Chapters
You know what that means?
Puppies!
Let's go! Hopefully. Going to the pound. Gonna get a family dog. We'll see how it goes.
A little doggie.
A little one.
What do the boys look like?
You think it'll look like that dog? A beagle?
No.
I don't want a beagle. It'll probably be some mutt, but I've had good luck with mutts. I've had dogs in my whole life. Uh, pre-marriage. Beauty, did we have one since we got married?
Yeah, we had one.
We've had some of the best best dogs be mutts. So we're gonna go see what we can find at the pound. Are you guys excited or what?
I don't want to be able to have too big ears. Have too big of ears.
Okay, well, we're gonna go and let y'all pick out one. Billy, you guys ready for this? Is everybody excited or what?
Yeah!
Now come on, that doesn't sound very excited.
Yeah! You said you always wanted a puppy.
Here's your chance. Did y'all know puppies were a lot of work?
Yeah, you did.
Pit stop at Earth Fare. Blueberries on sale. Everybody gets their whole pack. Everybody get buckled back in. Did everybody get their pack and their coconut water? Rebecca?
Yes?
I'm checking the comments while you're in there. Earth Fare. Good question. And somebody— George, George Schuler. Suggest an Australian Shepherd, George, and a lot of people agreed with that. We've thought about Australian Shepherds. That's probably like our number one, like, breed of choice outside of a guard dog.
Yeah, right.
So why aren't we getting an Australian Shepherd? I forget. You're the one who has— who has to, bless her heart, research this.
I think—
find this.
So the reason is, is that one, they're expensive. Yeah, they're much more more expensive than the dog at the pound.
Yes.
And, and it's true, and they, um, it's just—
yes, hold on, I'll open it.
Oh, you gotta find a little—
I'm so worried that maybe we didn't have enough land for them, but that might be a silly worry. Yeah, I mean, because we did babysit that Australian Shepherd one.
It was awesome.
And we remember we really fell in love with the Australian Shepherd when we—
our I remember babysitting one and it went on mountain bike rides with me. Like, it kept up with a mountain bike.
Should we get an Australian Shepherd?
I don't know, I'm just bringing it up just in case, like, the pound's quick. But what we really want is an Australian Shepherd, then I guess let's just go look.
I think we're just looking. It's not 100%. This is—
It's not 100%, kids.
I think, okay, this is so hard.
You know what that means?
So the problem was they're $1,000 or more and—
Well, I found one for like $600.
You did?
I did find one for $600 locally.
Really?
Yeah.
Okay.
Out near Ardenbury.
Okay. And we didn't go with that.
I don't know why we didn't go with that.
Okay. All right. Well, we'll think about it. We'll keep that in our mind. I consider that, you know, so I want to make sure.
It's hard.
This is so Because it's a, it's a 12-year—
it's a, it's a real— it's a long investment.
Jonah's gonna be 22 years old when this dog dies. All right, Beauty and I are switching. She's better at the phone research type of stuff. I'm gonna drive. We're gonna look and see about an Australian Shepherd around here.
Come on, guys.
At the tone, please record your voice message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up or press pound for more options. Hey, this is, uh, Justin Rhodes. We are out and about, my family and I, looking for some dog— for a dog today. Calling about your Australian Shepherds. If you would give us a call, we're available today if you're available to come look, possibly get one. So I just left a message with someone who's got an Australian Shepherd in Hendersonville.
Fletcher.
Fletcher. Now that, that's our hometown. Yeah, so this was not happening 2 months ago when we were looking into Australian Shepherds. Yeah, it's like, what, $400?
$400 for a male and $500 for a female.
Not $1,000.
Yeah, it's cheaper than even I looked at a couple weeks ago.
So we left them a message. We'll see if they call us back. We're at the pound right now. So we're gonna go, we might as well go in and see what they got.
Yeah. Those are so cool, aren't they? Oh man, I forget, it's something.
Wow.
It's something.
I've heard of it, I just can't remember what it is.
Mommy, you coming?
Look at all these paper dolphins! I'm so glad you brought your letter.
Oh, they're closed on Sunday! Are you serious?
I thought you said they were open.
Yeah, we thought you'd go in.
Well, they're closed.
Oh, I thought Monday is when they were closed. I am almost 100% positive I thought they were. Sorry guys.
What an anticlimax.
No, this is all the same town. The cats?
Don't knock on the window. Uh, you looked it up.
I did.
And it said Sunday? Or did you just look it up briskly?
I guess I went too fast.
All right.
Sorry. Well, let's go back to the Farm.
Hope those people call us back.
Yeah, sorry guys.
We thought they were open.
I'm so sorry.
Look, wait, she got a text. It's not them. Oh, come on, kids, kids, I was getting Mr. Brown in. They texted. They did. Is there a text?
We should be back at the farm after 3:30 and home the rest of the day. Let me know when you're thinking, I'll give you the address. Let's say 3:30.
It's 2:15.
Yeah, that is so cool. And they live on a farm? Yes.
Okay, this is crazy, isn't it?
It is.
We might get some Australian Shepherds. No lie, we really wanted— we really like that breed and we're looking into it. It just wasn't working out 2 months ago when we were doing that. You like the color? You guys like it? Okay. Yes. Oh, that, that, that dog will keep up with you on a bike.
Goody, goody, goody!
It's so fast. Before we go to the— oh, that would be helpful. Before we go to the puppies, we need to go get a crate for this puppy. The one you got was, it's too big. It was for an Anatolian Shepherd, and even then it was probably overkill, wasn't it?
I don't know, they get to be 120 pounds.
Yeah, all right. So anyway, we're gonna get a smaller dog crate crate for them inside at first and then on our porch. Are we putting the puppy inside at first?
I don't know, probably if it's a little puppy like this.
Rebecca is done with pet stores, so she found out that Tractor Supply had crates, so I think we'd rather go in there. Here they are.
So that's a 48 crate. We got the next size up from that one. It's so big.
That will hold it.
I'm thinking we should get this one, the large.
That will hold up to 50 to 70 pounds.
How much does— oh, that's 50 to 70.
What does Google, Mr. Google Pants say an Australian Shepherd will grow to be?
It's not getting about 70.
Okay, they say, they say that they're between 40 and 70 depending on the gender, and girls are usually smaller, right?
Nice.
Yeah.
So we do need to get—
oh wow, it is so much cheaper here.
Is it real stainless steel?
Yeah, this should be big enough, right?
I think so. That's for food?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Or should we get one of these?
Should we get pans?
What's the point? I think this is because it's got a rubber and it doesn't move around.
Yeah, let's go get these.
Yeah, get that one.
Do you think we should get this one or this one?
Water pan, Mama, water pan. Hey Jonah, bye-bye.
I'd maybe get get this one. You can always— yeah, put less in a bigger pan. Can't go the other way.
Is this one not good, or should we get a small?
We should probably— I wonder if you should get both the small and me, because it'll grow into it. And what if they're small?
I don't know.
The thing I'm excited about an Australian Shepherd is maybe we could actually use it as a shepherd. Maybe one day it could help herd the sheep. I don't know. Uh, and it's half the size of what we were gonna get for a guard dog. And— and it's gonna enjoy toys.
It's gonna play frisbee with us.
Oh, look, look, a dingo!
Josiah, will you run this back up, please?
Yeah, it can't be. It's a wild road over there.
Hey, I'm Rebecca.
It's nice to meet you.
There's the girls.
Oh my word, hello!
She had a litter last year and, uh, we kept two and sold the rest, and they're very sweet.
Are you guys nervous? You're allowed to pet them, right? Yeah, go ahead.
Sure.
They're not so sure, huh?
I think she's the sweetest.
This one in the middle?
Yeah, we had her at the farmer's market yesterday and she just was— she's probably the chillest of the three.
Well, maybe that's one we want, but we want Chill.
Yeah, she's, um, this little one right here.
Come here, come here.
You guys are adorable.
I'd say Bernard and Mark.
Yeah, it's okay, I just want to smell you. It's okay, it's not going to bite you.
So they've been handled. You guys been petting them?
Oh yeah, yeah. We took her to the farmer's market yesterday, so she got all kinds of love.
This one?
Yeah.
Why'd you choose that one to go to the farmer's market?
I thought she was the prettiest, and she's the— she's not as big as these girls.
Who's the most dominant out of these three?
You know, it's hard to say because we've never really had them away from the boys for a certain amount of time.
Yeah, and we're getting the pick of the litter. We're the first to come.
I'm picking this one right here.
They were just listed.
Papa, can I pick this one up?
Yeah, pick it up, see what happens. Don't drop her though.
It's, it's getting better.
Okay, that'd be the one. Okay, so y'all have a page for these guys?
Um, so it's just on our farm page on Facebook. You can, um, forward slash Sourwood Farm. Okay, and then if y'all have any, um, cool families that are looking for auditions or additions to their family, let us know.
Okay.
Nice to meet you.
Y'all enjoy.
Nice to meet you. We will. Thank you.
I feel a little bit sad because she's leaving her family, but I hope she likes her new family. She's a little nervous.
You know, this is like— we could have flown the drone here.
I know, it's so close.
She gonna be all right? She's whining. Decided to be okay. She's just getting taken away from her family. How's she doing now?
Good.
She looking at home yet? Oh, she misses her brothers and sister, her family.
You'll be okay. Halloween.
You'll be at home here soon.
Okay, she's calmed down.
She's resting. Let her rest, Lily. Let's eat. Let's take our supper.
Got her a little—
got her a little indoor home for a while until she bonds with us. Good day. I feel really good about it. You guys feel really good about it?
Yeah.
No, don't lock him in. Let him out, Jonah. Josiah, you feel good about it?
