Jake Owen started 2009 off with a bang -- well, actually with a bark. The singer is now the proud owner of a puppy named Vern. And although the eight-week old English bulldog will join Owen on the road throughout the year, he's not expected to do much.

"[Bulldogs] are kind of lazy dogs. They just want to lay around and get patted on," Owen tells Nashville's Tennessean newspaper.

Owen says he's confident Vern will get along well with his bandmates, since they have a lot in common.

"The breeder said, 'You know, bulldogs pass gas a lot, and they drool, and they snore.' I was like, 'Perfect, he'll fit in great on the bus with all the other guys.'"

The new Jake Owen album, 'Easy Does It,' featuring his latest single, 'Don't Think I Can't Love You,' is set for release in February.