Our Furry Fix

The typical American family is made up of mom, dad, two kids, a mini van, and a dog.  Isn’t that the American ideal?  Our family had attempted pets in the past with miserable failure.  First time it was a white, puffball with legs that was “hypoallergenic” and would agree with my lifelong allergy to dogs.  We had two children under five and no time to give this puppy the what it deserved.

Round 2

As our family settled more into family life and another child was added we believed a dog might be just what we needed.  So this time we tried a Bassett Hound that was very high energy but not so great with my allergies to dogs.  In a moment of being busy as a family and having puppy teeth gone while the puppy bit at our daughter’s hand.  With very heavy hearts we had to find a new home for the puppy and swore off getting another dog ever.

Moment of Weakness

After the divorce, the kids and I were all struggling a bit to fill the hole or figure out what we needed to complete the new family we had become.  Occasionally, the kids would mention what fun it would be to have a dog.  I would always try to talk them out of it with the busy life that we led and not being fairy to a dog to be alone so much.  Life was busy for all of us but in a moment of weakness I started doing some research on Golden Doodles.  It seemed like the perfect fit with their easy, laid back attitude and decreased shedding and dander.  Ironically, our neighbor had a litter of Golden Doodle puppies that would be ready the week of Halloween.  I kept the secret to myself and didn’t share with the kids what I had done.

A Little Sadness…

Our neighbor contacted me via text and said that she had miscalculated the number of males in the litter.  Unfortunately, the male puppy she thought she had reserved for our family had already been spoken for.  I thanked her and told her to let me know if they had any litters in the future.  So just like that my little secret to bring some smiles didn’t seem to be in the cards.  I am a big believer that things happen for a reason and just let it go.

And a whole lot of joy…

Our neighbor posted photos of the litter at their vet visit before they headed to their new homes and my heart ached a little.  Later that morning, I got a text from my neighbor with a photo of a little male puppy and a question of whether I was still interested.  There was a miscalculation and upon physical exam a rather reserved male puppy sat in the corner at the veterinarian and needed a home.  And just like that I knew that we were his people.

Dog Mom

Never in a million years did I think I would ever be a dog person.  The kids were very ready for a dog.  But when I drove to pick him up that Sunday afternoon it just clicked.  I picked him up in their driveway and he wrapped those big, awkward paws around my neck and laid his head down.  And my heart melted.  Barkley is now a fan favorite and the king of our castle.  None of us can imagine our lives without him now.  Some say that families that go through divorce can benefit from additional emotional support or therapy, but some families just need a little furry fix.