More on a Possible Puppy

About me getting a puppy…

I had many people chime in on this one.  Some thought that being I was questioning it, I wasn’t ready and should pass on getting a puppy.  Some thought get a puppy you can train it to your own liking.  Many suggested a meet and greet with Rosie.

Here’s some background for the people who thought I shouldn’t get a puppy.  When I initially thought to be a two-dog family Kramer was living and he said no.  I respected that.  After he passed I again thought about being a two-dog family.  By the time I was ready to start looking Ruby got sick and passed away.  I ended up getting Rosie as a pup.

Rosie was a terrible puppy.  You all might remember that.  Just terrible.  She took forever to really be house trained.  If I went to the bathroom and the door was closed, she would pee outside the door.  If I took a shower, she would pee on the floor outside the tub.  She was a very challenging puppy and nothing like Ruby was.  Thankfully she’s outgrown all of that.

The whole thing puppy thing was tough on me.  I thought I was doing something wrong.  I was constantly wondering if Rosie had a UTI.  Maybe that was the cause of her accidents.  She went to the vet a lot during her first year.

So…I knew until Rosie was under control and passed this stage, it was not time to get another dog and definitely not time to get a puppy.  Still, I wondered if an older dog might help calm her.  But in the end, I decided no.  I didn’t want to stress out a foster dog with Rosie’s problems.

Rosie got better about Thanksgiving time last year.  At this time she was two years old.  Just as I was having trouble with my cancer, she calmed.  It was perfect timing.  I needed a calmer dog and one who was not having accidents.  I started thinking about getting another dog again but because of not knowing where my cancer was, it again wasn’t the right timing.

Then along came Brieda.  All of my kids know I’ve been considering another dog so when Kalissa saw Brieda was available for adoption she immediately sent the link to me.  She looked like the perfect dog.

Long ago I had decided that I thought a second dog was a good idea…but I was back to wondering about the timing of it all.  That’s when I wrote the blog post about Brieda.  Find it HERE if you missed it.

Over the last six months, Rosie has become a great dog.  No more accidents.  She’s much calmer.  Jumping up on people has gotten under control.  If she gets outside without a lease, she doesn’t run away.  She’s learned to be calm enough to… nap with Gannon.

She was super hard to train but all of that has come into place too.  She’s no obedience school champ but she’s really doing well.  Well enough that I could start thinking about another dog.

She definitely has turned the corner on being a crazy puppy and working her way into a calm adult.

I had decided that this time around, I’d likely get a rescue dog.  I’m a beagle lover and I don’t see beagles that come up often through the rescue sites.  My first beagle, Gracie, was a rescue.  She was a great dog….but what a barker and had separation anxiety…other than that, about perfect.  We didn’t have little kids in the house.  Our own kids were teenagers.  It was safe to get an adult rescue dog without much worry.

We did learn that Gracie would snap if someone tried to pick her up so we just didn’t pick her up.

After Gracie passed, Kalissa begged and begged for a puppy.  She was in high school and had never had a puppy.  We looked at the local rescues and none were available so we found someone that had pups and got Ruby.  Here Ruby is with Kayla and Karl on the day we went to pick out a puppy.  We waited about a month before she was ready to come home.

Ruby was a great dog. Here she is as a pup napping with Kramer.

She was one of the best dogs I’ve ever-ever had.  I could see that having a dog from the puppy stage to the adult really made a difference.  It was easier to teach good habits from the beginning vs dealing with breaking bad habits after they had already formed.

Ruby did things Gracie would have never allowed.  She let the childcare kids play with her.  Here she “had a litter of puppies”.  They are actually stuffed animals.

Here they put bunny ears on her.  She loved the attention and the kids loved her.

So now…in May of 2022, I was back to wondering if the timing was right for another dog.  The idea of being a two-dog family was still in the back of my mind.  Then when Kalissa brought Brieda to my attention, I had to think fast and act fast.  As I said, beagles, at least true-looking beagles, don’t come up that often at my local rescues.  If I wanted Brieda.  I needed to apply quickly.

I don’t want to sound picky, but I didn’t want a mutt-looking beagle…one that was more dachshund than beagle…or coon hound or basset hound.  If I was getting a rescue, I still wanted a dog that looked like its breed and likely held personality features of the breed.

So…Brieda sounded great.  But…it had been six months since I really analyze the timing of getting another beagle.  I went back through my list of why I didn’t get one before.  That’s where I was when I first showed Brieda to you.

From there my thinking went like this…
Rosie, I thought, was ready now.  Getting an adult dog wasn’t as concerning as I didn’t have little childcare kids here regularly.  Financially I was fine to afford a dog.  My health although not perfect was not as iffy as it had been.  I had more time being I quit doing regular childcare.

I thought Brieda was about the best dog I could get for what I wanted and the timing, according to my reasoning, sounded pretty good.  So I applied.

In the blog post I wrote, I said that I wanted whatever was best for Brieda.  If I wasn’t the best place, or if there was something better for me or Brieda, that’s what I hoped would happen.

My heart was really happy about the decision.  I felt super comfortable with my decision to apply.

I was pretty sad when I wasn’t chosen…but I still believed if Brieda wasn’t for me, something would come along that was.

Then I was directed to the other shelter and Maggie only to find out Maggie wasn’t available.  HERE is the blog post in case you missed it.

I was sad…but in the end, after hearing about Maggie’s history, I wonder if she was would have been the best choice for me.

Then…the idea of Maggie’s puppy came.  I had not thought about a puppy at all.

So BAM.  A puppy was on my radar.  WOW.  I had not thought about a puppy at all as I didn’t even know I could consider it.  I had only thought adult dogs were a possible choice…but a puppy???

That’s when I wrote the post.  I was in shock that a puppy might even be available.  As I said, beagles aren’t typically listed in my area and beagle puppies are completely rare to find at a shelter in the area.  Truthfully, I don’t ever remember seeing beagle puppies and I watch regularly.

So…I had new things to consider.  Remember Rosie was a terrible puppy.  I had two years of puppiness with her.  Did I want to go through that??  But Ruby was a great puppy!  I could totally handle a puppy like Ruby…but oh, Rosie was a terrible puppy…but I can see that the terrible puppiness was worth it and Rosie is becoming a really good dog.

Everything was running through my head.  Was Rosie ready to be the “adult” dog?  Were my grandkids at good ages for a puppy?  Was my health okay for a puppy?  So many questions popped into my head that were settled if I was getting an adult dog but not even thought of if I got a puppy.  As I said, a puppy wasn’t even on my radar.

One of the reasons I wanted to get another dog was for Rosie.  When Kelli brings Puppycat or Kalissa brings Betsy, their beagles, Rosie is all excited and wants to play.  I just know she would love a puppy with lots of adventure and I know she would help wear a puppy out. Maybe a puppy is more suited to Rosie’s energy.

In the end, I really took the comment that Shirley left to heart.

Shirley said:
“Sometimes I think fate picks you. It sounds like you are ready and would make a great momma. Sometimes other dogs help train the new one. I dislike the puppy stage but love a puppy. Plus training in their forever home makes sure they learn the rules.”

I ended up applying to get the new little pup because I totally agree with Shirley, “Sometimes fate picks you”.

Being I didn’t get Brieda and being Maggie, this little pup’s mom, wasn’t available, maybe this little pup is where fate is leading me.

After thinking through it all…I think the timing is good.  I think Rosie is in a good position to accept a little friend and be a good influence.  I think I’m about the least busy that I’m going to be.  I think it’s all good.

Even if a puppy was as bad as Rosie, the fun and joy she’s brought to my life totally outweighs the bad…and who knows, maybe it would be a good puppy like Ruby.  I decided I was willing to take a chance.

I don’t know if Rosie and I will get selected to be the pup’s new family.  (I am constantly checking my email to see if we are selected) I don’t know if this little pup will be coming my way.  I only know that I am excited about the prospect and if we aren’t selected, I hope the pup goes to the perfect family for her…and Rosie and I, we’ll keep trying to find a dog or puppy that will be perfect for our family until fate picks us.

Many thanks to all who chimed in and helped me think this all through…a special thanks to Shirley.