What started us on the journey of bringing a new puppy into our family? It all started a few weeks before. After dining at a Chinese buffet restaurant in Billerica, MA, we walked over to the little pet store in the corner of the mall. We like to check out the birds and other pets.
There was the cutest little Miniature Pinscher pup in the glass cage. And I don’t know how to describe it, but he just spoke to us in some mysterious way. The way he “looked” at me, I felt such a strong message to “take me home” – He wouldn’t take his eyes off mine. It sounds hokey and corny, but he just leaped into my heart.
I have seen many many dogs in pet stores, and I think they are cute, but I have never before felt such a strong desire. Mike and I were in sync. I don’t know who said it first, but we started talking about someday bringing home a new puppy.
Mike then relayed the story to Noodles (our niece) and she excitedly tried to convince Mike to convince me to get the puppy asap. She always wanted a dog, and this would be fantastic. She was relentless in her ploy for a new puppy.
It snowballed from there. Could we get a dog? Do we have time for a dog? What breed of dog? Can we afford a dog? Who would take care of the dog?
I started to feverishly research online and at the Library for breeds, and dog training advice. It was an obsession.
I searched on the online rescues and shelters. Did we want to adopt a shelter dog?
We had a regretful experience with a shelter dog a few years ago; We adopted Sheba and had to find her a new home a year later. It was a traumatic and horrible decision to make, but I feel she is much happier in her new home.
We failed once, could we take the chance with a new dog? I couldn’t bear to fail again. We decided that a young puppy from a breeder was the best choice for us; we would have a clean slate to train him or her the proper way right from the beginning.
So the hunt was on….(to be continued)
