Meet My New Pup!!!

Grab a cup of coffee.  This is a long post.

You all heard my sad news from Sunday, my beagle Ruby, of seven years passed away.  I used to tell my kids as an explanation of someone dying that they got so sick that the doctor couldn’t fix them anymore so they died.  I think that’s the best description of what happened to my Ruby girl.

Well after we left the vet Kelli and I started talking.  When was the right time to get a pup.  Was there ever a right time?  Was there ever a wrong time?  I knew I wanted another dog…but when?

We feared that getting a pup might take awhile.  We know people often get pups at Christmas time and figured there would be none to be had so we could look as there wouldn’t be any anyway.  So we did.

There really weren’t any.  We looked and tried to find some.  Admittedly there were a few but I refused to pay $1000 to $1200 for a pup.  That was too much for me.  I wasn’t interested in a show or breeding dog.  I only wanted a family pet.  To me, paying that amount of money wasn’t necessary for the type of dog I wanted.

We agreed with my vet that with my crazy household with in home childcare and lots of small kids around, it would be best if we got a puppy.  We checked the Humane Societies and even went so far as to look in neighboring states, but still we found no puppies through the Humane Societies.

The best I could find in my price range were pups, no pictures of them, but they would be ready at the end of January.  That seemed like a long time.

Part of me wanted a puppy right away.  I couldn’t help but think of a friend of mine when they lost their cat.  They were devastated and seriously were sliding towards depression when one of them said enough and they went and got a cat.  Slowly, things got better for them.

I’ve had a lot of heartache this year and I know myself.  I too could easily slide that way into depression.  Losing Ruby was so hard….and being in the house without her clicking nails on the wood floor was already getting to me.  I thought it would be okay to get a pup right away.

I did have a little bit of a criteria.  Did you know that there are several different colorings for beagles?

Ruby was the black, tan and white (the one on the upper right corner).  Puppycat, Kelli’s beagle, is the first one pictured (upper left).  She is the classic, black, red and white.  That’s what I wanted.  I love the coppery color.  When I got Ruby, I didn’t know there was a such thing as black, tan and white.

Did you also know that beagles can some in different sizes.  Betsy, Kalissa’s beagle, and Puppycat are both 13″ beagles.  Ruby was a 15″ beagle.  It only sounds like 2″, it isn’t much, but it is.  Kelli would ask me why I didn’t let Ruby on my lap.  Ruby was too big to be a lap dog….She sat on Kramer’s lap in the recliner, but she was too big for me.  Puppy and Betsy could both be okay in a small kennel.  Not Ruby.  She had to have a medium sized kennel.  After all the carrying of Ruby I did over the last few days of her life, I knew I wanted the smaller sized beagle if possible.

So my criteria:
Classic coloring of red, black and white
If possible the classic white blaze in the middle of their head
A female
Closer to the $500 range in cost
13″ size
Not a state away if possible
Available sooner vs later

My first place to check was Lonesome Grove Beagles.  I have followed them for a long time.  They have a Youtube channel that they post puppy videos to and they are so fun to watch.  I didn’t get the puppy mill feeling from them at all.  They didn’t have puppies.  They didn’t even have any expecting.  UGH.

So then we started googling “Beagle Puppies Iowa”.  We got a few places.  Some I got a big breeder feeling from.  UGH.  Most didn’t have puppies available.

We looked and looked…then we started typing in searches for puppies in neighboring states.  UGH.  Seriously, this was not easy.  No exaggeration at all, Kelli and looked for puppies online for about 3 hours with both of us doing independent searches.  Finally Kelli got a lead.  Someone who knew someone, just got a puppy not long ago in Farmersburg Iowa.  Kelli tried to contact that someone.

Then Kalissa found a puppy website called Puppyfind.  She found someone who had a puppy in Farmersburg Iowa.

I wasn’t too excited about this.  Doesn’t a website called “Puppyfind” sound a little puppy mill-ish?  Kalissa sent a link with pictures.

They were only this small.  I was hard to see them.  We tried to get more information about the puppy but, we had to $5.95 to see the information.  UGH.  We did and found out the information.

I called and found out the pup was born 9-2-2019.  Hmm.  She’s older than some.  This would make her 16 weeks old.  I thought I was okay with that.  The town was about 50 minutes away.  We ended up making an appointment to see her the next day.

Then I started second guessing myself.  I forgot to ask if she was a 13″.  Was I doing this too quick.  Was I making decisions while grieving?  AHHH.  Was this the right thing??

The next day I met Kelli and Georgia and we started traveling in the direction of the puppy.  I realized I didn’t have a collar, toys, a bed, dog food…the whole list of things you need for a puppy.  Kelli and I made a couple stops along the way.  Then I berated myself.  Were you actually getting a puppy?  I reasoned out that I was going to get a puppy.  I just didn’t know when.  Even if I didn’t get THIS puppy, I was still going to get a puppy.

I felt terrible too.  I didn’t want to not honor Ruby by getting a puppy so quick.  I also remember terribly grieving after Gracie died and waiting the month for Ruby.  No.  I didn’t want to do that.

We found the place where the puppy was and went into the house to visit.  I should have known better.  I don’t think I could ever say no to a puppy.  This is the lady that raised her.

I didn’t get to see the parents but was offered that I could.  I did ask if she was a 13″ beagle and she was.  I was told she was really patient and very mellow.  I hoped it was true.

I handed over the money and we were on our way.  Kelli was so sweet, she offered to drive but I said she could snuggle the puppy.  I have the rest of my life to snuggle her.

She had all of the good puppy smells.  She was just perfect…or at least in my eyes to this point.

From here we decided to stop at Forest Mills Quilt Shop.  We hadn’t been there in a bit…  I’ll tell you all about that stop when I tell you what I bought there in Sunday’s Stash report.  For now, I’ll tell you more about the pup.

Notice I write “the pup”.  She was nameless.  The night before Kelli and I had made a list of names.

Here’s a few that were on it.  Nelly was her name from the breeder.  I didn’t like that.
Polly
Penny
Rosie
Pippa
Holly-she was a Christmas Puppy
Dotty
Cricket
Birdie
Betty
Idgy
Izzy

After thinking long and hard…I liked Pippa.  I really liked Pippa.  Then I got thinking there is a show on TV called Peepa Pig.  I was sure the childcare kids would call her Peppa instead of Pippa.

Did I care?  Maybe I should just call her Peepa.  Ah.  I didn’t like that as much.

…and so it went.  She went an entire day with no name.  Then a few more names for added to the list.
Piper
Ellie
Poppy
Girlfriend

All of my kids and the grandkids and even a family of childcare kids put in votes.  For me…nothing seemed right.  I was teetering between Rosie and Pippa/Peppa.

Carver came to meet her and said, “Why you call her Peepa?”  UGH.  No, I don’t think I wanted Pippa.

Craig came for supper and I asked him what he liked from the list of names.  He liked Birdie.  So I tried that out for an hour or so.  No.  I didn’t like that.

Bailey…no too many dogs called Bailey.
Bella….again too many dogs named Bella.
Gemma…no one of my kids thought if they had a kid, they liked that name.

UGH.  I was going to bed and the pup didn’t have a name.  Then I thought Brigetta (like from the Sound of Music)  Yes.  I loved it.  Then I decided that the childcare kids will never be able to say it.

I reasoned ever possible reasoning for every name on the list.  Not “Dotty”.  She didn’t have dots.  UGH.  I hated this.

Karl told me, “Mom, it’s your dog.  Don’t worry about what the rest of us think or say, just name it what you want.”

I finally just went to bed…after all, Kalissa had told me several times to just sleep on it.  I tried to remind myself that whatever name we gave her, she would grow into.

The next morning I woke up….I was leaning towards Rosie.  It was one of the first names I liked.  I like that I had Gracie (my first beagle), then Ruby and now Rosie.  I like how they were all old fashioned names.  No one said no to that name.  Everyone kind of liked it.  Some names, some people didn’t like at all.

I liked Rosie as it was good for a puppy and good for an older dog name.  I felt like Pippa was more of a young dog name.

My kids started texting me asking if I decided.  I said I was leaning towards Rosie but wanted to have a good hashtag with her name if I was taking pictures of her and posting them on social media.  About then I got a message from Kelli that said…. “Call her Rosie with a hashtag of #pocketfullofRosie”.

That was it.  That’s how she became Rosie.

So far, she’s in love with me.  Seriously.

Where I am, she is.  I sat and ate supper.  She curled up at my feet and slept.

I knew she’d follow me when I wrote blog posts so I brought her new bed over and she fell asleep right by me as I am currently writing.

Kennel training is going really well.  She fussy for a bit at night, five or so minutes, but is soon over it and sleeps through the night.

She’s been practicing on her quilt sitting.  She isn’t the best at looking at the camera yet.  
We are working on her learning which are her toys and which are baby toys.  This one will be hard.
We’ve been on several walks already.  She does great.  She likes Puppycat and Betsy HATES Rosie.
Carver took this picture of me and Rosie.  I love it.
To date, I am so happy she came into my life.  It was the right choice for me to get a puppy right away.  I haven’t forgotten Ruby.  I can’t tell you how many times I think of her.  Rosie will walk with me and I’ll remember those first few walks with Ruby when she would bite at the leash.  I’ll remember how Ruby would go right for the dishwasher if it was open and how I didn’t like that, so I’ll shoo Rosie away.  Rosie will grab my shoe and run…and I’ll miss good old Ruby all the more.  There is something wonderful about a puppy…there’s something equally wonderful about an old dog.  Oh I miss my friend Ruby….but it’s Rosie’s turn now.  I’m going to love on her all I can.  She deserves as much love as I can give and the great thing, she’ll give it all plus some right back to me.  She already is.

So….Welcome to the Kramer house Rosie.  We love you already.