Tough Decisions
This past week, I had the most joyous occasion you can imagine! I temperament tested a purpose bred litter of puppies in Pocatello so the puppies could be placed in homes appropriate for their personalities. The parents were both health tested and passed with OFA Good hips and Normal elbows. They were also tested for Degenerative Myelopathy which is a devastating spinal disease that can cripple a dog in their older years. Neither parent carried the gene. The dogs had working titles to prove breed worthiness, and ability to learn and work with superior personality. Both parents had an extensive, proven healthy, long line of ancestry behind them.
I went to see this litter with trepidation as always. What would I find? I was concerned about structure. I was worried about solid, non fearful temperament. I was concerned about whether the litter would be engaging with people or distant. I worried about whether they would be good puppies for pet homes, because most of any dog litter will go to pet homes rather than experienced competitive homes. In my mind, a pet dog needs to be more solid than any other dog. Their life is in the real world, with children that are unpredictable, with owners that may be learning and with strangers that many times have no idea how to act with a dog. Their life is not usually as controlled as it might be in a competitive home where the handlers know how to raise a puppy for its best growth and development. A well bred, good pet puppy can be incredibly difficult to find.
So, I test this litter. The first puppy came romping over to me, tail wagging and ready for big love! She had no fear whatsoever! She engaged with me. She wanted to learn. In two seconds she learned to sit! She was food motivated and incredibly cuddly!
One after one, they entered this new room with new people and a hard slippery floor with strange sounds and their littermates far away! Not one of them was afraid of noises, new people, or having a towel thrown over them to see if they could find their way out. Every one of them was a problem solver. Every one of them was affectionate, confident and enthusiastic about anything put in front of them! I was over whelmed with delight!
Then, in came the last one with a lime green collar. She was a beautiful little girl. I tossed my keys across the room onto the hardwood floor to see if the noise bothered her. She ran quickly to the keys, picked them up in her mouth and returned them to me! Not only was she unafraid of the noise, she was a natural retrieving puppy! Seriously, what puppy wants to pick up heavy, hard keys in their mouth? The rest of the test showed her to be simply perfection! I fell in love!
So for this past week, I struggled with the idea of adding another dog to my household. I wanted this puppy for all the right reasons. She was so perfect in structure, temperament and long history of healthy ancestry. She could work and do competition I wanted to do. I adored her. My heart throbbed for her!
I finally decided not to take this puppy. I think the biggest reason was the financial commitment. If you read last week’s article I mapped out costs for a puppy for one year. My experience has told me that cost for a dog is about $1500 or more a year between food and medical expenses and that doesn’t include training since I can do my own training, or purchase price for a well bred puppy.
This puppy was PERFECTION! It’s not often you find a puppy of this caliber. And, I found her!! But, I gave her up and she will now go to a home with owners that have excellent German Shepherd background and huge property to grow up on.
My hope in telling this story is to encourage people to get puppies and dogs for the right reasons. Decisions about bringing a life into your home should be made with intention, honesty, and commitment for 15 years, even if the answer to taking that dog is not always the one our heart insists upon!
Caption: Even the most perfect puppy may not be right for you or at the right time in your life to give them the best they deserve.
