Puppy Power!
I have adopted a new puppy. I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember, and for a plethora of reasons it has been impossible… until now.
You are probably asking how I can have a dog with my travel schedule. Theresa and I talked it over, and once we had discussed it with her son Aaron we decided that he (the yet unnamed dog) would live with them when I was out of town. Decision made, we three set to the task of finding the right puppy for us. Theresa and I wanted to get as much input from Aaron as we could in the entire process – he has gone through too many changes in the past year over which he had no control, and felt that by including him in the decision making process he would feel more in control than he has been of late.
For three weeks we scoured sites like Craig's List and Kijiji, the Humane Societies of Oakville, Mississauga, Etobicoke, as well as probably every pet store within the region. We knew that we would be disappointed a number of times, as happened with a gorgeous puppy on the Mississauga Humane Society's web site who had been adopted before we called (they don't keep their site as current as they might), and a beautiful 3-year old beagle named Dave who we met at the Oakville Humane Society, but whose file noted that a family had applied to adopt him already. The search continued, and throughout that last week Theresa and I were mailing ads back and forth, until we finally settled on two finalists - a puggle (pug/beagle) and a jackapug (jack russel/pug) that we would visit on Saturday when Aaron was done with his tutoring.
Saturday came and when we picked Aaron up we realized that we had not taken the phone numbers with us, and went back to Theresa's to check on-line. While on the site we saw the ad for one of them and must have clicked on the wrong place, because instead of the puggle we were looking at a picture of a couple of Boggles – a Boston Terrier/Beagle cross, and I fell in love on the spot. Theresa did as well, and when we called Aaron into the room he said that he liked them too. We had already committed to seeing the jackapug, but as we drove we all agreed that it would likely be the Boggle.
To be fair I loved the jackapugs, but when Aaron held one he felt they were too squirmy. We told the owner that we would think about it, and drove to Hamilton to meet the Boggles.
There were two of them… a brother and a sister – and it did not take a minute for me to know that I was looking at a member of my family. Aaron felt that a male dog would get along better with him, so we met the just over seven-week old boy, and it was love at first sight.
Theresa drove with Aaron in the back and the puppy in my arms, and as we drove along Queen Street we discussed names. Aaron had a few suggestions, and when he asked what I thought of Jacob I knew it fit perfectly. Jacob (יעקב בן מיכאל)
did not weigh six pounds yet, and was quiet and calm for the entire drive home. We stopped at the pet store and picked up a crate and some treats, and we spent the entire evening playing.
It is amazing how smart he is… a chip off the old block? After a day Jacob was responding to his name. After two days he was crate trained (insofar as he waits until he is out to do his business). He has been with us for under a month, and this ten week old Boggle not only plays fetch and sleeps through the night, but has certainly asserted his dominance over Baily (Theresa's 9 year old Wheaten Terrier) and the cats. He knows who his daddy is; he whimpers miserably when I leave, and seems to know instinctively when I am going out of town for a few days. When I come back he goes WILD, and plays with me until he is completely worn out. When we go for a walk he stays right next to me, and more often than not he does his business when and where he is supposed to.
If you have ever wondered what true love feels like it is the kisses from a loving puppy. I look forward to his Puppy Power (he has decided that is the command for 'lick my face furiously') all week long, and when I get home – whether he comes to the airport with Theresa or waits patiently at home – I am absolutely never disappointed. It is truly unconditional love, and I know that for the rest of his life Jacob will be my biggest fan, and will always give me the best evaluations I will get!