Puppy Disappointment
So when we arrived at the breeder today, thrumming with excitement about bringing home our new puppy, it quickly became clear that:
a) in the year and a half we’ve been on the waiting list, the breeder totally forgot who we were
and
b) as a result, she’d matched us with a puppy who was going to be temperamentally unsuited to our family. The puppy she’d picked out for us was much smaller than her littermates, and showed some tendencies toward shyness and anxiety. This is obviously a bad fit for a family with two active and exuberant little boys. To her credit, she realized the mistake immediately and was pretty up-front about it. But the end result is that we came home without a puppy.
The next litter will be born in July, ready to come home in September. It’s definitely a disappointment. But the kids actually took the whole thing quite well. They seemed to feel that driving an hour and a half to play with a puppy for fifteen minutes, and then turning around and driving home, was a perfectly sensible use of a day.
June 25th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I got my dog, who is by the way, the best, from the shelter. She had been abused and was terrified of lots of things (2 “exuberant” little boys would have done the trick!). She is now almost 12, still acts like a puppy and has been a fine companion for more than 10 years.
June 25th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
I think rescue animals are wonderful. What can be better than giving a home to an animal in need? Most of my pets, throughout my life, have been rescues.
The reason we’re going with a breeder in this instance is that our situation (with two small boys, AND the chickens) will be a challenging one for most dogs. By a) choosing a breed that’s notable for being good with kids and other animals, and b) raising the dog from a puppy, we’re trying to make things easier on both ourselves and the dog. There’s no guarantees in life, of course, but that’s why we made the choice to go with a responsible breeder rather than a rescue.
June 26th, 2012 at 6:13 am
Oh, that’s a bummer! At least the new litter will be here in the fall–that will be something to look forward to, as the overarching excitement of summer days winds down. You have to love the little ones’ resiliency. Long long drive to pet a puppy? ADVENTURE! I am constantly wishing I could cultivate that attitude myself (and not exactly doing a bang-up job at it).
June 26th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Sam joked that I was more disappointed than the kids. He was disappointed, too. Later in the evening I caught him standing in the kitching staring at nothing, whispering “She was so fuzzy…”
June 26th, 2012 at 11:32 am
I agree with Sarah, in that we also got a beautifull and previously abused dog who has been wonderfull, but I agree Shannon that if you want to be totally sure that there will be a match, getting a breed that is compatible to your situation is important. The teachable moments for the boys will be invaluable and the memories will be priceless!
We do need to get together soon, as I am off for the summer and would love to go do something fun in the Bay Area with you, the boys, and Teddy.