For the past two weeks we have been talking about getting a new puppy. Actually, we've been talking about it for two years. For the longest time I couldn't imagine dividing my attention away from my Berner boy. My Berner baby needed so much of my attention, how could I possibly love another? People kept asking me when we were finally going to get another Berner. I just didn't see it in our future. I love this breed to death, but there is space in my heart for only one Berner, my BernerBuddy. I cannot believe that any other Bernese Mtn Dog could be as great as him. Plus, he has finally turned three and is beginning to act a little older and wiser. It's such a relief that his hormones have settled down.
But then I suddenly realized we did need another dog. I had a good reason to get a new puppy and we had found the perfect breed: the Flat-coated Retriever.
I suggested the breed to Jeffrey and the more research we did, the more we liked it. I like it because it's functionality fits our purpose. We needed to find a breed that was lighter boned, more energetic, could tolerate the heat better than Riley, loved the water, and would enjoy lots of running. When it came down to it, we needed a dog that was not Riley. We needed a dog that could run a couple of miles with Jeffrey every morning, go swimming and fishing with him, and also be his companion on multiple-day backpacking trips. The Flat-Coat was all of that. I also like it because it is not a common breed.
So while on vacation in Acadia last week, I began my search. I was responsible for finding a reputable breeder and finding us a female pup. After many phone calls and information seeking conversations, we met up with a breeder who was close enough for us to drive to. Our biggest concerns was that we wanted a female and we did not want her shipped. Females were hard to come by as breeders tend to keep their females for breeding stock. There were plenty of male puppies available but we held out. We knew we had to find a female puppy who would be a companion to Riley. He would have to love her as much as we would. Neither of us thought Riley would bond with a male. All of his favorite playing buddies are girls. We weren't getting much luck and were beginning to consider a female from Texas or a female from Florida when the phone call came.
"One of the females that was promised to a family is now available. They have decided not to take her."
REALLY?! Can we come see her next weekend?
So we were supposed to go meet the breeder, the adult dogs, and the puppies on Sunday the 13th. As you can see, we never made it that long. Yesterday afternoon, with our afternoon schedules free, we drove a couple of hours to see our puppy. We spent a little over an hour there and managed to impress the breeder enough to let us take her home with us. You see, she was one of his favorites and was a very special little girl. He just wanted to make sure she was going to the best home. We tried to reassure that we are avid dog lovers, a very active family, and she was exactly what we were looking for, while Riley rolled on his back playfully to her. Our hearts mealted, Riley liked her!
As I am writing this, Sabrina has been in our house for 24 hours now. I sense that she has already long forgotten of her siblings and previous home. She is an extremely smart, curious, mischievious, and loving little girl that looks at life straight in the face. Her disposition fits into our home perfectly. This puppy has impressed us beyong comprehension in just the one day we have known her. She has not had a single accident in the house, slept with Riley and us in the bedroom last night no crate necessary, stayed home with Riley for 4 hours alone today, and walked beautifully on the leash today. Every time we take her outside, pee and a poop. No problem. Amazing little girl. I'm am so tickled pink by her smarts as well has her funny antics. However, I have to admit, I'm really not too thrilled that she likes to step into the water bowl and scoop the water out onto my hardwood floors.
She is the perfect little addition to the growing zoo in our home. We are so happy to have found her. Our little Sabrina. Welcome home.
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Good question. I'll try to answer as succintly as possible. I grew up with a mutt and always thought I'd love to have recues in my house. I kinda felt that people who were into their "pedigrees" were pretentious and ignorant of all the wonderful mutts available.
But that all kinda changed when I realized why there are so many different breeds of dogs available. Each breed was bred for a different purpose. And in actuality, anyone boasting that their dog is "purebred" *is* ignorant cuz all dogs had to be crossed with other breeds at some point. With all the animals I have in our home, I needed to know where this little girl came from. I needed to know that she was bred for her good hips, her good eyes, her temperment, and her longevity. We knew both of her parents were highly trainable as they were show dogs or worked in the field. Being able to visit the breeder meant we could see what the first 10 weeks of her life was like. She was temperment tested at 8 weeks and she tested well. I needed to know these things in order to train her for the things we wanted her for. The type of activities we do as a family require a highly trainable dog that will not have separation anxiety, will not be aggressive with other dogs or people, will not have aggression anxiety, etc. These are things you are likely to get with a rescue, simply because of their circumstance.
I think if we were going to get a rescue, he/she would have to be the only dog in the house so I could dedicate all of my time, energy, and focus to him/her. Provided our home life and background, a rescue or dog of mixed/unknown descent would not be appropriate for us, nor would we be an appropriate home for them!
Whew...and that was short...
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