The Story of Dog (Continued)

First, a disclaimer: Whenever possible, I think the best option in finding a dog is to go through the local Humane Society and rescue a dog. I know so many people who have done this and ended up with the most wonderful, loving, fabulous dogs. Because of my husband’s allergies, we had to go a different route. I now make every effort to rescue dogs in other ways. More about that later…


For now, on with the story…

When my youngest child went off to first grade and I had this surprising empty place in my heart, I figured getting a dog was an easier option than having another baby. I knew I’d still have to wake up in the middle of the night to tend to whimpers and bowel movements, but the advantages of no stretchmarks or breastfeeding tipped the balance in the puppy’s favor.

Because my husband has terrible allergies (I’m talking furry creatures, here, not the disinclinations to wake up in the middle of the night for feedings or diaper changes), we had to be sure that whatever puppy we got wouldn’t make him miserable with scratchy eyes and sneezing. I know there is a lot of controversy about so-called “hypoallergenic” dogs and supposedly there is no such thing, but we discovered that he is generally ok with dogs that don’t shed.

So, the search began. We looked at Maltese and Poodles and Bichons and just about every conceivable combination of those breeds and others.

We dog-sat for friends with various types of dogs: Carson relaxing in the sun with a friend's Maltipoo, Mooky.


so that we could get an idea of the best dog for our family. (An excellent idea if you are considering getting a dog—a great trial run to see if you and your family are ready for this Big Step. Also, a good idea for considering spouses and children, although personally I think with kids and husbands, it’s best just to make the plunge—otherwise there is way too much fear and thinking involved.)

Our ideal dog would be non-shedding, smart, lively, playful, good with kids, and, of course, very, very cute.

I spent hours scouring the Internet and talking to my dog-owning friends, looking for “our dog.” Then, one day our neighbors came by the house with their new puppy, Cody, and we fell in love.

Cody was a Havanese, a relatively new breed in the U.S. that belongs to the Bichon family, and most recently came from Cuba. We quickly discovered this was exactly what we were looking for. From the official Kennel Club Book of Havanese:

“The Havanese is amazingly intelligent, lively, playful and very devoted to his owners. He will immediately show his affection for you and yours (including the children) and, from the moment you bring it home, become a part of your family life.”

Now my quest had a focus—finding a Havanese puppy. (There is so much important stuff that goes into finding a puppy that I will put into a future post, tentatively titled, “If You Have to Ask, Don’t Get a Dog!”)

After many hours of surfing the Internet I had found the perfect dog. Rosie was an apricot-colored Havanese in New York with a face that was so sweet I gained five pounds just looking at her.

I contacted her breeder immediately and wanted to know more. At first things seemed great, but as I delved deeper I had a funny feeling in my stomach. Rosie’s owner couldn’t really remember exactly how old she was; she was hesitant to give me her Vet’s name and phone number; and, the worst sign, she wouldn’t give me the names and numbers of any other people who had adopted dogs from her. She thought we should be able to “trust” each other.

Now, I am someone who wants more than anything to believe in the honesty and good-nature of my fellow human beings. But, I am also very keen to that vague, insistent feeling that something isn’t quite right.

Still, we wanted a dog and Rosie was available now. I was just about to buy a non-refundable airline ticket for my husband to go get Rosie, when I happened upon another Internet site…

To be continued