In July 2007 my wonderful senior golden retriever, Red Sun Rising CD, died. My husband and I mourned as well as my pack of five dogs, especially his best golden retriever friend, Logan. We all missed Red and by the following April I started thinking about adding another golden retriever.
A golden retriever breeder I know called me to look at her puppies… although they were sweet puppies, they lacked that special spark that said pick me. So I didn’t take one home.
In Tao of Puppies I talk about choosing a puppy that’s right for you, so I won’t go into that right now… except to say that I want that special heart connection that happens when you and the puppy choose each other and “magic happens.”
In August 2008, Logan became very ill with an extremely elevated Liver alt (2100). X-rays and an ultra sound revealed that his liver and spleen were enlarged.
At 1:30 am in the emergency room, I promised him that I would find him a friend. (I am a firm believer in the fact that adding a young dog at the right time can give a senior dog extra years of happy life.)
…so my search to find a dog intensified.
I talked with two golden retriever breeders, but nothing developed.
Then, my luck changed!
I got a call from a golden retriever breeder who heard that I was looking for a dog. She’s lives in Phoenix, Arizona, not that far from me. She knew that I love to show and train dogs (especially in agility) and she said she had an 11-month-old golden retriever puppy (female) that she’d like me to see.
I went to her house on Labor Day and met the puppy.
And you can probably guess what happened. That funny, happy, sweet golden girl came to live at my house for a “test period” on Sunday, September 7.
Within three hours of being at our house, she fit in like she always lived there (In Tao of Puppies I also talk about how to introduce a new dog to the pack. And my pack was very lively! I had three border collies, one Doberman, and one golden retriever.)
So how do you get a dog that fits with you, your family, and pack?
Here are my suggestions:
• Pay attention to the personalities in your pack. If you have a lot of alpha wannabees, maybe you should think about bringing in a confident beta who won’t be afraid, but won’t be so assertive that you have dog fights.
• Think about the type of breed that you want to add. For example, I was looking for a golden retriever because I knew that dogs often relate better to their own breeds. (However, I must also admit it really depends on personalities – my Doberman is best friends with one of my border collies!)
• Know your pack. I knew that Logan related best to other golden retrievers. I knew that my pack was “full of life.” Which means that an 11-month-old was much better for my pack because the puppy was OLDER. And my active pack wouldn’t overpower her. (It would be much easier for them to overpower a puppy.)
• Figure out what you need to make you happy. For me, it was all about Logan. If he was happy, I’d be happy. So I wanted a golden retriever puppy for him.
I am sure you will be reading many more Angel Lily stories…
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