Puppy Love

Puppies (and dogs) are this week’s obsession.

One year ago, my husband and I decided that we were ready for more commitment and love in our lives, and that meant a dog.

But we didn’t want to rush into it—we were traveling too much last summer and didn’t have time for puppy training, so we decided to research and plan and get one when we were truly ready.

Summer passed; we read up on breeds and breeders, rescue dogs and shelters and decided that as inexperienced (but devoted) pet owners we wanted a docile, well-bred dog that we could train as a pup. We decided on a breed: a Golden Retriever (which is what my family had when I was a teenager). We made arrangements to have a fenced-in area built for the puppy.

In autumn, we traded in our ten-year-old Camry for a more pet-friendly and camping-friendly car: a RAV4, with lots of room in back for dogs and tents and coolers.

Winter passed, and we thought about whether we would be able to give the time we knew a puppy would need. Summer is ideal, since we work at a school and our workload goes way down in that season.

Spring arrived and we started to read about training. We contacted a breeder who contacted her contacts and found a dam in Missouri (863 miles away) who would whelp in a few weeks—which means that we need to wait 10-12 weeks for the puppy.

So I bought a crate (for those aghast, it is what all of my training books recommend; apparently most dogs love their crates as safe, fun places and it is a favored training tool, along with positive reinforcement techniques). I also bought a bed, food and water dishes, a leash, raw hides, soft toys, puppy pads, liver treats, a barrier gate, etc.

And then we settled down to wait.

Yesterday, my great friend Anne, who is an amazing intuitive animal behaviorist and has guided our transformation from non-dog people to dog-people, called to say she'd spotted an ad for Goldens on a farm not far away. Both parents are AKC registered. These pups are WAY less expensive than the breeder in Missouri.

I called the farm and talked to a delightful women: this is their first litter. The puppies are nine weeks old on Sunday—the perfect age to adopt.

Now, I have read all about the risks of buying from inexperienced and local breeders, but I have also talked to people who have purchased dogs from nice homes and had great luck. We are not looking for show quality; we are looking for a healthy, socialized, happy dog. So going out to see this litter seems to be sensible.

So on Saturday, we are taking a drive out to the farm to meet the five remaining puppies and their parents. I'd like to do this with an air of detachment and caution, but if I am honest with myself, if the dogs in this family look happy and healthy, I can’t imagine not coming home with a pup. (!) We are SO ready.

We had thought we wanted a female, since they are smaller and books say females are less aggressive. But this farm has only males left. I googled more information about Goldens and learned that the difference between male and female Goldens is more about size and much less about temperament. In fact, one site said that male Goldens are friendlier than the more independent females.

We have been brainstorming names. When we were set on a female it was easy: Elsa or Clara. (Alan likes the name Elsa because of Born Free). For males, after a few glasses of wine last night, we got down to Darwin, Bingley, and James. Alan also likes Nelson (after Mandela). Many of my suggestions (Jack, Charlie, Moses, Harry, Ezra, Waldo) were rejected as not being dignified enough. Alan has a rather grand vision of our pup.