I will start with there are so many good dogs in rescues. Every single dog we have ever had has been a rescue. Our Pekingese, our Jack Russell, our Brittany- and every dog in between and after; rescued. We love our rescue dogs.
Many rescues will not adopt to families with young children. Some animals just don’t do great with younger ones, and I totally understand that. Others don’t trust that children know how to behave with animals. I also completely understand that. Because if a dog bites or attacks, especially a child, it is to be euthanized, regardless of circumstance. No organization wants to see an adopted dog lose its life because owners don’t know how to handle their pets…or children.
There was a random FB post that started the rabbit trail that led to nothing. We dropped getting a dog as it was getting to the end of summer. But then Ethan looked at me and said, “ok, let’s look for a dog.” We found a litter of Irish Doodles. Now, the doodle thing is the least of my cares. I’m not worried about hypoallergenic or doesn’t shed or designer dog. I just wanted a dog. And for real, setters are one of my absolute favorites.
In a twist of events, Ethan’s family has actually known the farmer for quite a number of years. My parents had Athena for the weekend so we took a covert drive to scope out the pups and farm. Farm feels like a dirty word, this place was a beautiful, well maintained, sanctuary. I’d volunteer to live there any day. The owner of the farm had the most kind things to say about Ethan’s grandpa as they had known each other fairly well. I knew we were in the right place.
We also knew we were getting a male and thus Ethan got to pick out our newest member. We were able to go the following week to pick him up. Athena stayed with Ethan’s family for the morning as the entire thing was a surprise for her. She was absolutely stunned when we revealed him to her.
Samwise Declan, Sammy, or Sammy Good Boy, has been the sweetest addition to our family. He is remarkably tolerant of the girls and loves them SO much. He is quite independent but gets very concerned if he can’t “count” his people. Athena was at my parents for the weekend and he sat outside her door, very worried because he couldn’t find her. He’s a bit of a guard dog, and a bit of a herder. It’s hilarious to watch him run around the yard clearly directing Athena. He’s silly, sweet, and just a touch of Irish stubborn. He loves his stuffed animal toys and running.
Every person that has met him can’t believe how good he is. Sammy gets the puppy zoomies a few times a day, but otherwise he is napping in a corner happily snoring away. We really got lucky. Ethan gives me grief because I loooooove Sammy. We may have gotten him for the girls, whom he adores, but I am his mommy and I don’t even feel a little bad about it.
Contrary to my “cat man” husband, having a dog has been the best. These last few years have truly been the longest I have ever gone in my life without having a dog. Even though I was still living at home and helped raise my parents’ dogs, it’s just not the same as having a puppers in the home. Though Gimli may be the SIZE of a dog, he just isn’t one. There are parts to the puppy phase no one really enjoys- puppy teeth, potty training….BUT the rewards for me outweigh the short term annoyances. For me, I just feel like the dog sized hole in my heart has been filled.
The Nurtured Bee 
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