I think it was John Lennon who said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
Well “life” sure has been happenin’ around here. Not least of which is that I’ve somehow been roped into adding a third dog to our crew.
It all started when Cait began making serious noise again about wanting her own little dog (emphasis on little). Having zero interest in adding a third dog, I told her to take it up with her father, because I was absolutely, positively certain that he would categorically say no. The matter would be over and I could continue on my merry way, having dodged a bullet.
And then that “life” thing stuck its finger in my ear.
Cait came running into my study with tears of joy. It seems my best bud, my love, my comrade-in-arms, my non-dog loving husband (whom I knew I could count on to say no) said yes! I went searching for him to see if he’d suffered from heat stroke.
He met me in the hall with a chagrined look and a hefty manila envelope in hand. It contained the letter Cait had written — an incredible 6-page, heart-felt, deeply thought-out letter expressing why she desperately wants and needs her own dog. I laughed and cried all the way through. It was a masterpiece.
Long story short, it was a no-brainer to see why Andrew said yes. It was the right thing to say — the only thing that could be said.
We’ve already found the puppy Cait will be bringing home in a few weeks (his photo is at the bottom of this post), but I thought this would be a great opportunity to walk you through the process of how you go about finding the perfect dog. There’s a lot to consider.
While my big concern is how I’ll be integrating this puppy into my pack, I don’t want to get ahead of myself so I’ll be tackling that in a later post. For now, I’d like to start at the beginning:
How do you determine what the Perfect Dog is for you?
Is it a rescue? A pure breed? A male? A female? A puppy? An older dog? A big dog? A little dog? As you can see, there are many questions that need to be asked before you can come up with the answer. And even more questions for you to consider here.
In our case, Cait knew she wanted a cuddly, small dog. And she wanted to get it as a puppy so she could start with a relatively clean slate. As well as being able to meet both parents to assess temperament and likely health issues of the puppy, the other big advantage is that she can raise it the right way from the very beginning. She’s witnessed the time and energy it’s taken me to get my rescue dogs on the right track, and that’s not the experience she’s looking for. This also meant that we’d be researching and looking for reputable breeders.
Because Kiera is a dominant female, and an older one at that, we knew we had to go with a male to be safe. (Mixing females together can be tricky business, and mixing females from the same litter is asking for trouble.) Knowing that we’d be looking for a male, I wanted to find a breed that wasn’t known for dominant traits. And because Graidy is a barker, I didn’t want to add another barky breed to our mix. And because Kiera and Graidy like to use our stairs as a NASCAR speedway, it would have to be one of the sturdier small breeds that could withstand being accidentally careened into.
Cait had done her own research on breed selection here, and had compiled a list of dogs she thought would make a good fit. Since I’m not familiar with small dog breeds, I immediately called up several of my trainer friends and asked what they thought of each of the breeds. Trainers are a great resource because they routinely work with various breeds — both puppies and older dogs alike, as well as easy and difficult dogs.
All were unanimous in their recommendation, and the list quickly got whittled down to one. So what did Cait get?
Meet Wink. He’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
He’s darling. I think Kiera and Graidy will dote their little hearts out on the little guy. How big will he get?
well done Cait, with the letter and the homework. Unlike me, I just decided I wanted a new puppy, bugged my husband until he agreed and then picked up the first stray I found (we lived in a remote Alaska town, no one wanted him, he would have been killed — and I say “killed” because they don’t use injection for euthenasia, they shoot them cause its cheaper). The whole sotuation had the potential for terrible trouble. Good thing he has been loveable!!!!
Becca’s last blog post..Can’t do it.
Deb, I have to say he is a little sweetheart. Kiera has already met him and she did well. Graidy is good with all dogs, so he’ll be fine. So I think you may be right — there could be some serious doting going on here in a few weeks! Full grown, Wink will be 12 inches at the shoulder. He’ll be about the size of Finn.
Becca, I’ve always been a sucker for the strays too. (Graidy was picked up as a stray.) How lucky for your dog that you found him. I’m always so glad to hear about happy endings. There are far too many sad ones.
Great dogs, really smart and sooooo cute!
Enjoy!
donna’s last blog post..angry over
Never trust a guy to say no. What a cutie.
therapydoc’s last blog post..The Denial of Aging
Wink…such a cute name!
Chris’s last blog post..Meet Your New Shopping Buddy
Oh, I love King Charles Cavaliers. It was actually on my short list too, but since I’m a rescue-only type of gal, and there aren’t a whole lot of Cavaliers in rescues here, obviously, we didn’t end up with one.
There are many advantages to small dogs, not that I’m biased, of course.
It will be very interesting to see if she finds the reality of a puppy a little different from the dream of one. I know she’s been around dogs pretty much her whole life, but puppies are different — as I certainly found out!
Congrats. Hope his integration goes smoothly.
Judy’s last blog post..Agility fun match
WOW!!
I absolutely love the name “Wink”, and that picture could have me falling head over heals in love with one myself.
For now, I think I’ll stick with the two Labs and just live vicariously. I’ll look forward to the posts about Cait and Wink that I know are coming.
Sunshine’s last blog post..I own(ed) each of these types of animals in my life, this is too cute for words!
Awwww….good for your kiddo for convincing you!
Meryl’s last blog post..Celebrating With a Giveaway!
Wow! Smart girl, hmmm I wonder where she gets that trait? Cait has certainly been paying attention, and she knew if she did her research, neither one of you could say NO. Good job Cait – Wink is gorgeous BTW.
Nita’s last blog post..Canning
He is adorable! I’m sure, with all the planning, he’ll fit right into your family. Please let us know how it goes.
Lynn Sinclair’s last blog post..Wild China
I think I’m in love…he’s adorable! Good for Cait for arguing her case so well! Maybe she’ll be a lawyer.
edj’s last blog post..Of Visitors, & Birthdays, & the Green Valleys of My Home
I love the name ‘Wink’…he’s adorable.
Caffienated Cowgirl’s last blog post..The Not-So-Hi-Techies
Tell Cait that’s exactly the dog I want if I can ever talk my no dog husband into it. Maybe I’ll try a 6 page letter :)
Wink is very cute!
meredith’s last blog post..Close encounters…
Hello! I found you while skipping through the field of bloggers! I can relate to the crazy life with the addition of a third dog! I have a friend with a KC spaniel, I myself don’t know much about the breed, but you picked a cutie! Good luck!
I enjoyed the excerpt of your book!
I can relate to the loss of a four legged companion, also!
Wink sure is cute. Good for you for thinking you new addition through. If everyone did that there would be fewer dogs in shelters.
Beta’s last blog post..Vancouver Pride
Oy. . you didn’t mention the most important part of puppy buying. . find a breeder who does genetic health screenings! If you’re going to buy a purebred, take the time to find one who is less at risk for genetic disease by finding a breeder who screens for potentially deadly disorders.
Meaghan’s last blog post..10 Tips for the Frugal Dog Owner
Great point, Meaghan. Thanks. Yes, very important to find breeders who do genetic screening!