In July 2007 my wonderful senior golden retriever, Red Sun Rising CD, died.
My husband and I mourned as well as my pack of five dogs, especially his best golden retriever friend, Logan.
We all missed Red and this spring I started thinking about adding another golden retriever.
A golden retriever breeder I know called me this spring to have me look at her puppies...
although they were sweet puppies, they lacked that special spark that said pick me.
So I didn't take one home.
If you're currently looking to buy a puppy, that might sound strange to you.
Most people visit a litter and feel they have to choose from the puppies that are in front of them.
It's understandable.
You know you want a new puppy, and you feel that these puppies are the ones you can choose from, so you make a snap decision.
And then you have to live it.
Unfortunately, this is NOT the right way to go about choosing a new family member.
My private clients have actually been known to fly me across the country to accompany them on their "puppy-choosing" adventures, knowing that the choice they make now will affect every aspect of their daily their lives for the next 10 to 15 years.
What I want when I look for a puppy, personally, is that special heart connection that happens when you and the puppy choose each other and "magic happens.
" Now, before we continue I want to tell you that in just a minute I'm going to share with you a source where you can get the EXACT same "Perfect Puppy System" I share with my private clients when they hire me to help them choose their new dog.
I promise you that you're going to want to stay tuned for this.
It literally can make the difference between bringing your new best friend into your home, or adding a source of stress and heartache that will "dog" you for years to come.
We'll get to that in just a second, but first let me finish my own personal "Perfect Puppy" story...
In August 2008, Logan became very ill with an extremely elevated Liver alt (2100) and we found with x-rays and an ultra sound that his liver and spleen were enlarged.
At 1:30 am in the emergency room, I promised him that I would find him a friend.
(I am a firm believer in the fact that adding a young dog at the right time can give a senior dog extra years of happy life.
) ...
so my search to get a dog intensified.
I talked with two golden retriever breeders, but nothing developed.
Then, my luck changed! I got a call from a golden retriever breeder who heard that I was looking for a dog.
She's lived in Phoenix, Arizona, not that far from me.
She knew that I love to show and train dogs (especially in agility) and she said she had an 11 month old golden retriever puppy (female) that she'd like me to see.
I went to her house on Labor Day and met the puppy.
And you can probably guess what happened.
That funny, happy, sweet golden girl came to live at my house for a "test period" on Sunday, September 7.
Within three hours of being at our house, she fit in like she always lived there (In my Your Best Dog Ever online dog training course, I also talk about how to introduce a new dog to the pack.
And my pack was very lively! I have three border collies, one Doberman, and one golden retriever.
) So how do you get a dog that fits with you, your family, and pack? Here are my suggestions: 1.
Pay attention to the personalities in your pack.
If you have a lot of alpha wannabes, maybe you should think about bringing in a confident beta that won't be afraid, but won't be so assertive that you have dog fights.
2.
Think about the type of breed that you want to add.
For example, I was looking for a golden retriever because I knew that dogs often relate better to their own breeds.
(However, I must also admit it really depends on personalities - my Doberman is best friends with one of my border collies!) 3.
Know your pack.
I knew that Logan related best to other golden retrievers.
I knew that my pack was "full of life.
" Which means that an 11 month old was much better for my pack because the puppy was OLDER.
And my active pack wouldn't overpower her.
(It would be much easier for them to overpower a puppy.
) 4.
Figure out what you need to make you happy.
For me, it was all about Logan.
If he was happy, I was happy.
So I wanted a golden retriever puppy for him.
And that's how "Angel Lily" came to live at our house.