After I lost my 17-year-old dog Winnie back in the fall, I said I would consider adopting again in the future but I would NEVER adopt a puppy. My “type” (we all think we have them, right?) tends toward the aged, scruffy, no-teeth, tongue out, one-eyed, special needs little dog. And I still have one of those! His name is Jack, he’s 14, going deaf, and a bit of a jerk sometimes. But he is loved beyond measure and very attached to me – especially now that I am working from home most of the time!
I’ve seen so many of “my types” come through the doors of Bideawee over the years. I’ve been tempted and I’ve come close to adopting but I always held off for just the right time. And by right time, I mean, when my husband came around to having the same “type” in dogs that I do. See, he’s a real sucker for a big, mushy, goofy, fluffy, golden-lab-mix type of pup. So, no one was more surprised than me when one of those types came into Bideawee and I found myself ENCOURAGING him to meet her! I even sent him photos! What was I thinking? This wasn’t supposed to be the next four-legged addition to our family. I had already reserved that spot for a crotchety, toothless senior. But here I was, falling in love with a big, fluffy, goofy puppy.
And so, it happened. I began to cave. We talked it over. A lot. Bringing home a puppy is no small undertaking. I know that first-hand because of what I see every day. Too often, people see the cute, cuddly puppy and don’t think about how time-consuming it is to make sure that puppy becomes a properly- socialized, well-behaved, potty-trained, non-shoe-chewing adult dog. That’s why so many surrenders to shelters are adolescent, untrained dogs. People haven’t given them what they need to become happy, secure, well-mannered members of the family. Right off the bat, I needed to make sure that both my husband and I were 150% committed to training this girl and going through all the challenges that can come with bringing home a new puppy. I knew that her future would depend on the steps we took today, and I was determined to make sure we set her, and our family up for success.
And so, last week, after lots of discussion, we brought home our newest family member. Her name is Aja and she is everything we could have wanted and more! She is goofy, she is floppy and fluffy, and she’s sweet and smart too! We are already working with a trainer to get all of us off to the right start! We are giving her loads of love, and of course, plenty of proper things to chew on! We are loving her with all of our hearts and we are thrilled to welcome her home.
And I DO have a type—it’s called a cat and it’s called a dog, and I know this because I have a shameless wandering eye any time I see either of them.
We never know where and when we will find love; our only job is to be ready for it when we do. So, keep an open mind when adopting, ask the right questions, have the right conversations, and above all, never say never.