It looks like we will be getting a new dog this coming week. I am anxious and apprehensive at the same time as it has been some time since we have had a dog in the house.
Our last dog, Shadow, was a rescue (up until now all our pets have been rescues) and I remember the first time I ever saw him. I told my wife that he was beyond ugly, he is what one might call Fugly (use your imagination). He was a Curly Coated retriever, jet black and about 100lbs. He looked like someone crossed a Standard Poodle and a Black Lab, that distinct retriever look with tight curly ringlets of hair.
It turns out he was the coolest dog I ever had and while we did not name him (he was about 2 when we got him) it was apt, he followed me every where I went. Funny that should be, I did not really want him nor did I think he was a good looking dog but he drew right to me and ended up growing on me. He would sleep on the floor by my side of the bed, at the end of the couch by my side and so on. He turned out to be a very faithful companion, he loved to play rough and due to his specific breeding (they are cold weather/water fowl dogs) he LOVED to run outside the second it was snowing.
I can still see him running around the yard the first year we had him, a jet black dog who was covered top to bottom, nose to tail in snow. We must have spent an hour trying to corral him to get him back in the house and dried off only to have him dart right back out the second someone opened the door. For a big dog he could fit through the tiniest of spaces.
When our youngest was born we were concerned about how he might take it but he was great. Colm would crawl around the house and find Shadow. As any baby might like to do Colm was no exception and would yank on the tail, ears and all those curly locks and not once did Shadow growl or snip. Nope, he would just get up and move away. When he discovered that the baby could not climb the gates you would generally find him on the other side of the Kitchen gate just lying there peacefully.
Then one day Shadow stopped being so active and the more he walked, the more pain he seemed to be in. The vet gave him some meds and for awhile he was back to his old self but then the meds stopped working and it was time to decided what we should do. It turns out that Shadow had a problem very similar to my original injuries, but his were much worse.
Surgery was an option but even with that the vet told us there was no guarantee it would work and most certainly Shadow would live out his days in pain and with out the ability to romp and play like he loved to. Talk about a tough decision, here I am fresh off surgery for the same thing and not once did someone consider putting me down because of my back.
I talked with my wife and the vet and we all agreed that Shadow was in too much pain and the only thing to do was have him put to sleep. I will never forget that morning, it was cold and misting all day. A very dreary day to be sure and I with my back had to get the dog with his back out of the house and in to the car. It was if he knew what I was doing.
In all the years I had my friend he never once was menacing towards me, never. That morning as I drew the leash he coward in the corner keeping his distance from me. The leash meant walking and walking meant pain so I had to re-think this. I ended up having to try and carry him to the car, it was the only way to get him in it. The whole time he was biting and scratching me, like a trapped, scarred beast. The poor guy must have been so scared.
We got him to the vet and they asked one more time if this is what I wanted. It was tougher to say yes that time because it was permanent. Then they asked if I would like to stay with him until he was gone but that was too much for me. I said my goodbye to him and he nudged me one last time as if to beg me to throw the ball he loved to play with.
Well it has been some time since Shadow left us and while we have looked at other dogs, none of them ever seemed right. We did have a dog for a small bit. A little mutt we adopted who spent his afternoons tearing the house apart. We were told he was well behaved and that the foster home he had been in had no problems, he was nothing but a pain in the ass for us. We had to give him back, gladly.
Now we have been offered a pure breed dog for free. It is a 4 month old puppy and is a labradoodle. That's right, a mix between a lab and standard poodle, just what I thought Shadow was when we first met. We have to call the lady on Monday but apparently this is the last of the litter which has been selling for close to $1K per dog but at almost 4 months it is getting tough to find someone who will buy him. Knowing about Shadow and my back and how I would love to have another dog they offered it to my wife the other day.
I do not know what color it is, heck I don't even know if it is a male or female. However I do know that I will need to stock up on vacuum cleaner bags as curly coated breeds, especially larger ones, shed 3 times their weight in fur everyday. I love dogs but I hate being covered in dog hair.
Anyway, we will see how things go.
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