A Search for the Perfect Family Dog

A Search for the Perfect Family Dog

 　

I want a dog. A dog to take on my morning runs with me, to the dog beach, to dog parks. A dog that will play fetch with my daughter. A dog to teach and learn from. I want a dog that makes me feel protected when I am home alone. A dog that my husband will enjoy wrestling with. A dog that will show respect to my 2 elderly Dachshunds and will live harmoniously with my 2 cats. I want a family dog. In a time when so many animals are being cast aside or sent to shelters due to the hard economic times (or various other reasons), you would think it would be an easy task to add a dog into my home. However, that is not proving to be the case.

You see, I am married now. I am also an adoring mother to a bright 3 year old daughter. In addition to the 2-legged members of my family, I have 2 elderly Dachshunds and 2 cats (one senior, one a youngster). It may seem odd to some that I wish to add another dog into my home since I already have so many dependent upon my care and attention, but you have to understand that I have always been a member of a large pack of dogs.

Since I was a young child, I was raised with multiple dogs in the house.  I want the same for my daughter. I want her to know that she must respect animals, but that she can also teach them, learn with them, mold them, and enjoy them. Don’t get me wrong, she enjoys her time with the 2 dogs we have right now, but they are a reserved bunch, long ago taught the important obedience lessons, and now just enjoying their quiet time, resting comfortably on the couch. They have earned that! Yet, I crave to start the process again. To work with a young dog that needs direction...and needs my love.

So, after many discussions and pro/con lists, I decided to begin my search for the perfect family dog. I looked at local shelters, specific breed rescues, and classified ads. Always keeping an open mind, and yet also understanding that I have a very specific set of circumstances that require a specific personality of dog.

My husband enjoys making me happy and, whilst he isn’t so keen on adding another dog to the mix, has relented because he knows how much I desire it. My daughter knows her dog breeds well and has listed specific breeds she would like to own: a boxer, a dachshund, a dalmatian, a GSD, a beagle, a pug, a mutt. Her mood shifts depending upon the last dog she met or read about in a book.

After much searching, I found a dog that seemed like he just might fit in. A darling 10 month old border collie/aussie mix. His foster mom brought him to my home for a meet and greet. First, the 2-legged family members went out to the front yard to meet him. He was SO happy to meet us! Entirely focused on each person who offered him attention. Next, came the Dachshunds who voiced their disapproval instantly, but the pup simply ignored them and went back to getting pet-pets from the closest person. Into the house we went, the pup cautiously entering the home and inspecting the youngest of my cats. My cat reared up and swatted the pup across the nose. The pup was taken aback, but simply moved on to see what my daughter was doing. He was a happy pup, vastly engaging with my family, ignoring my cats, and being respectful of my dogs. I was happy, but that feeling was short-lived. My daughter hung back and watched it all. She attempted to play fetch with the pup, but he did not understand toys. She quickly lost interest and went off to color. My husband interacted with the dog, but he was not as welcoming as I would have hoped. My excitement at the prospect of adding a new fur baby to the family began to plummet. I thanked the foster mom for bringing the pup to my home and gave the pup a hug goodbye. I was sad to see him go, to say the least.

That meet and greet spoke volumes to me. Here was a perfectly good family dog. He was kind and caring and adored my family instantly. And yet, my family was not so keen on him. Later that night, I spoke with my husband and he said that he was not impressed with the dog. NOT IMPRESSED?!?! The dog did everything right, save for a few too many jumps up (classic eager puppy move - easy to train them not to jump). I next asked my daughter what she thought. She admitted that he was cute, but stated that he was not the right fit for our home. She said that she saw how the dachshunds regarded him and thought he was too wild for our senior dogs (this from a 3 year old!). Ok family, now what? Was it THIS dog that did not strike their fancy or are they so comfortable with how things are (we have a very calm household) that they fear the disruption overall? Do I continue to hold off on bringing a dog into the home as to not upset them or do I do what I want and just get a dog (selfish, only child syndrome rears its ugly head)? I look back on my childhood and recall that my father was never overly pleased when we brought a new dog into the home, but soon enough he was slipping it table scraps and belly scratches when no one was looking. Could I expect the same from my husband? Surely my daughter would enjoy engaging with a younger pup once she spent more time with it, right? Is my desire to get a new dog clouding the fact that we just don’t need it right now?

The truth is, I don’t have the answers to those questions. I am sad, but not deterred. I have learned things I did not know before I began this process. I will remain open to the idea of adding a new pup, but perhaps not seek it out as much. All I do know is that for now, I will remain hopeful that the perfect family dog is still out there awaiting me, as I await it.