The journey to finding a dog

A lot has happened in the last few days. On Saturday we went to 7 different dog adoption fairs. I saw a few dogs who I kind of liked but they all had issues (separation anxiety, hand shy, too much energy, etc.). We started out at 11am and didn't finish up until about 3pm. We saw lots of dogs. It was good for me to see all the dogs though. It gave me an idea more of what I didn't want in a dog. I didn't want to inherit someone else's problems. I also didn't want "someone else's dog". I really wanted it to be my dog. David liked quite a few of them and was kind of anxious to get a dog but I didn't let that sway me. He did keep saying that it was my decision and I appreciated that he really knew that. So after 7 adoption fairs we headed home. I was anxious to check email because I had sent a lot of emails out about dogs on craigslist. But on the way home I asked David to make one more stop at our PetsMart to see if they were having an adoption fair. And they were. I really liked one dog there, Rocky, but he was very timid and hand shy. So I opted not to get him. Once we got home I checked emails and realized that a lady that I had been emailing with hadn't called me about a dog she had, a Jack Russell Terrier name Tevis. She said that he was highly trained so that would have been a big plus. I sent her an email and told her that I was still interested and wanted to see the dog. She called me within 5 minutes. We made plans to go right up to Palmer Lake and see the dog.

Tevis is a beautiful Jack Russell Terrier but he has WAY too much energy for me. He's fixated on his tennis ball too. He was constantly (and I mean constantly) wanted someone to throw the ball for him or he was looking for his ball (it was put up on a table). He was extremely fast and my biggest concern was that he would bolt out the door after a rabbit and never be seen again. Plus, he really was Linda's dog. She really didn't want to let him go but was doing what she thought was best for Tevis. She wanted to remain in his life though and I honestly wasn't up for that. Not that what she wanted wasn't okay but it's just that I wanted MY dog, no someone else's dog. The dog didn't seem to obey very many commands (sit, drop it, etc.). I didn't perceive him as being highly trained. Except when it came to his tennis ball. We considered Tevis but after just a few hours of thinking and worrying about him escaping or "her" dog getting hurt or lost I decided he wasn't the dog for me. I want a walking buddy but not one that has that much energy.

So at the end of day one we had seen about 80 dogs but didn't find that special one. Sunday morning we got up and after breakfast we went to to an animal shelter in Pueblo. They had about 50 dogs there! There was one, named Parker, who was cool. He is a Basenji. I strongly considered him but left without him. When we got home from Pueblo I researched Basenji's and called the shelter and asked additional questions and realized that he wasn't the dog for me either. He was a digger and a chewer on top of having boundless energy, being aloof and being a jumper (he could jump at least 5 feet straight up - it was amazing to see). After much consideration and research I decided that he was not the dog for me.

So I went back to looking for dogs on craigslist. I literally was looking at every post in the pets section for dogs. After looking at all the dogs we had seen Saturday and Sunday I was able to clearly see that a lab (or lab mix) was the kind of dog for me. I had read that a lab bred with a golden retriever was a great combination. So I sent an email to just about everyone who had a lab or lab puppy to rehome. Most of them were gone by the time that I had emailed. But I didn't feel discouraged at all because I knew that when I saw the dog I would know it was the dog for me. Mostly I would know because I wouldn't feel awful anxiety about him getting out of the yard or not housetraining properly or having too much energy. What I would feel is peace and calm over making the decision. So it was 5pm and the weekend was pretty much over so I conceded that a dog wasn't in the plans for this weekend. There was always craigslist and seeing other dogs at adoption fairs next weekend.

I was sitting down watching TV and saw an ad for an online, free classified site called gcolorado.com. I had seen the sight before but hadn't looked at it in a long time. So I went to gcolorado.com and checked out the dogs. On that site people were allowed to sell puppies from litter for a price (on craigslist you can only rehome a dog for an adoption fee or rehoming fee - no dog sales - although that's exactly what a lot of them really are). Anyway, on the second page of the ads I saw a listing for Golden Retriever/Black Lab puppies. That was the kind of dog that I really wanted. I was waiting on info from one other person about a beagle/heeler mix named Tacoma but called about the puppy anyway. We made an appointment to go right over and see the dog. I was a bit aprehensive about getting a puppy though. When we got to the house where the puppy was a got a call from the lady about the beagle/heeler - he was no longer available. So I could make a free choice about the puppy.

When we went in the house I first saw one of the female puppies that was not available (they were keeping her). She was darling. Then the lady's husband came in with the last puppy, a male, that was available. He was a handsome boy. I watched how he was with other people, other dogs and got a general idea of his personality and temperament. Now I was getting excited. He was the breed of dog I wanted, he was good looking and he was smart. Now I had a decision to make. I asked the people if it was okay for David and I to go outside to talk for a minute to make a decision. They were fine with that. It didn't take much time for me to decide that he was the dog for me. We went back in and told them that we would definitely take him. They were asking $150 in the ad for him but said we could take him for $100 (score!). They called him StarWars. I told her that we would be naming him Harley (Skooter, Moped and now Harley lol).

We didn't have anything for a dog to come home. I didn't even have a kennel to transport him. I held him on my lap the whole way home. He never fussed. He was well behaved (unlike Moped - yikes!) and seemed very calm and attentive. David watched Harley while I went to PetsMart to pick up some supplies. I got there 10 mintues before the store was closing! It was a quick shopping trip, to say the least. I got him a kennel that was on sale, dog bowls, dog food, a bed (which were not using yet, we wanted to make sure he wouldn't have an accident in his kennel) some toys and pooper scooper bags. I promised myself that I would clean up after this dog every time it went to the bathroom. Now, I know that's not really going to happen every time, but I'm going to stay on top of the yard this time. No waiting for a week to pay someone else to come out and clean it.

When I got home from the store David and Harley were sitting together. It was so sweet. Harley had fallen asleep. That made me believe that he was comfortable in his new surroundings. I put him down on a towel in the bottom half of his kennel (I hadn't put it together yet) and he slept for at least an hours. Then he woke up, went outside and did his business. He got excited about everything that I brought home. He wanted to explore each thing as I took it out of the bag. While he did that (explored) I put his kennel together. He slept through the night in his kennel!! We both were amazed that he did that. I woke up a few times just to listen for him but he was fine. When he first got in the kennel he wined and howled (which was kind of cute but I'm sure it would wear on me if he did it all the time) but then he settled down and went to sleep.

He got up at 4am mostly I think because the auto timer turned the light on. He probably would have slept longer if the light hadn't come on. But I was thrilled that he slept that long. I got up and took him outside to do his business and he did. No accident in the kennel. Woot! This was a good sign.

I'll admit that the first day with him was very rough. Not because of him but because of me. I didn't just let him be. I was constantly watching him and making sure he didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to (meaning everything but his toys). I pretty much made myself miserable the first day. And there really was no need to do that because even at 9 weeks, he's a very well behaved dog. He was already sitting to go in and out the door and when I gave him food. I think part of the stress I was feeling was lack of knowledge of how to take care of a puppy. I just couldn't remember what it was like with Skooter and Moped. By the time David got home I was feeling frantic and thinking that I had made a mistake. But I talked to David about it and he offered for me to go out and he's watch Harley. That was the best thing he could have done for me. So I went to the store and got us something for dinner. I wasn't gone too long but long enough to realize that I had whipped myself into a frenzy over this dog. I was trying to do everything on his schedule and wasn't making him adapt to my schedule.

I went out during the middle of the day for my appointment with Marianne and left him home, in his kennel for a little over 2 hours. He did just fine. I wasn't going to cancel my appointment to stay home with him.

By evening time I was feeling much better, much more calm and relaxed. I could see that he was a mellow dog and that I didn't need to get so anxious about the whole thing. And I knew that the chances were good that he'd sleep through the night again. We went to bed earlier the second night than we did the first and that helped too. He did sleep through the night again. When the light went on at 4am he woke up. I took him out and he did his business. We came back in and he went back into his kennel and I went back to bed. We got up agian around 6:30am or so. I fed him and he went outside and pooped right away. I put him in his kennel so I could go to the store and get some milk and he was fine while I was gone. I came home and had my breakfast and then let him out of his kennel to play. He loves this Kong toy I got for him that has "tails" that he can bite on and a squeaker sewn into it (don't worry, it's stiched up really well). He played for about an hour.

I made a mental decision that I wasn't going to just sit there and watch him all day like I had done the day before. That was nerve racking. I was going to do the things I would normally do and needed to do while he was out of his kennel. He's been out for almost 2 hours now and all he's done is sleep. He went out a few times to do his business and then came right back in to sleep again. He's very mellow and that's the kind of dog I need. I know there will be rowdy times and as he gets older he won't sleep as much, but I just don't see him being a problem like Moped was. Dont' get me wrong, I love Moped, but he just had way too much energy for me (or Skooter!). Harley is definitely the right temperament for me.

So we've had a very relaxing morning and Harleykins had behaved very well. He does try to bite ont he furniture and rug but I tell him 'no' and give him his toy to chew on and he seems happy. Today I feel totally good about the decision I made to get him. I know there will be other days when I doubt my decision again but I think most days will be pleasant with Harley.

I already got food delivered from Furry Friends. They have a puppy blend that is much better then the Beneful. I believe in feeding a premium kibble so that the dog has a better chance of staying healthy. Speaking of healthy, I already have his first appointment at the vet set for 5:10pm tonight. I'm going to take him to the vet instead of having Dr. G come to the house. He'll need to be neutered at some point and that's easier at a clinic than doing it at the house. He'll get a checkup and get his first shots. He'll probably tired after that so I expect him to be sleepy tonight (although I'm not sure how much more sleep he can get in one day! haha). He seems to be pretty healthy so I don't anticipate any problems.

His first owners did an awesome job on training him. He's a very smart and well mannered boy. You can tell that they put a lot of time in with Harley. I'm grateful that they were such good owners. And I'm very grateful that they parted with him so we could have him. He's a treasure.

So now we begin a new adventure with Harley the Retriever and his best buddy Samantha. I'm looking forward to the day when I can take him up on the trail to get him used to other dogs and people and different things to look at. That will be great. I know he'll enjoy that too.


Here's a picture of Harley and his Kong toy. He has a little white under his chin and on his chest. I'll get better pictures of him as we go along.

In other news, today is Huxley and Blitz's birthday. They are 9 years old today. I'm a little sad that I can't be with them, but I love knowing that they have a wonderful home up in Woodland Park. I know their new owners are taking very good care of them. Happy Birthday Huxley Buxley and Blitzie Witzie!! I love you and miss you.



Okay time for me to get some stuff done. Gabe will be here tomorrow for a day or two on his journey back to Milwaukee and I need to get this house straightened out a bit. Harley is still sleeping so I should be able to get some stuff done. If he gets up I'll keep him with me as long as he's not too hyper and I can get him to play with his toy. If he's too much I'll let him enjoy a nap in his kennel.

This is a big commitment that I'm making, owning a dog. And it's an even bigger one starting out with a puppy. I'm determined to make this work though. Giving him up is not an option (okay, on bad days it'll be an option in my head only, but he's not going anywhere). I'm really glad that God worked things out so we could get him. Oh yeah, after we got home the lady that had the beagle/heeler dog called and said that he was available again (some young kid without parents permission had taken him but had to bring him back). I told her that we had just bought our puppy and we're no longer interested in Tacoma. She was very nice about it. So things worked out the way they should have and I'm happy. And Harley seems happy too.