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| Duffy and Henley: Best friends |
What is it like to take a grown dog into your heart? It’s
like nothing else you’ve ever done. It’s good, it’s bad and it can be pretty
frustrating at times. But it’s one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do.
How do I know? Because my husband and I are in the midst of working a rehomed
dog into our lives right now.
I’ve had Siberian Huskies for over three decades. In that
time, I’ve shown them to their Championships, earned Agility, Rally and
Obedience titles with them, hiked the woods in North Georgia to earn Working
Pack Dog titles and even had one who was an amazing therapy dog. I’ve bred
several litters which produced Siberians that excelled for their owners, too.
Now, before you vilify me for being a breeder, please
understand that there are different types of breeders. There are the bad ones –
the ones who run puppy mills or back yard operations, breeding their bitches on
every heat cycle and placing their puppies with the first person who’s check
doesn’t bounce. These people sell their puppies in pet stores and classified ad
sites like Craigs List, or they have a website that’s designed to sell puppies,
not educate potential owners. These are the breeders who fill up animal
shelters with unwanted dogs – they don’t screen puppy buyers, they don’t mentor
puppy buyers, and they don’t care what happens to the puppy after the check is
cashed.
Then there are good breeders – the ones who don’t breed any
of their animals until all the genetic screening tests have been done and the
animals are known to be free of hereditary diseases. They carefully study
pedigrees, working hard to not just produce more dogs, but to produce better
dogs. They prove that their dogs are worthy of reproducing by showing them in
conformation, or working them at their original purpose, or both. They belong
to local, national and sometimes international dog clubs and abide by codes of
ethics which require them to take back any puppy, for any reason, at any point
in the dog’s life, if the owner can’t keep it. They know where every puppy they
ever placed is, and have a collection of Christmas cards and photographs from
the puppy owners. This is the kind of breeder I am.
But in December, when our 13-year-old boy, Billy, curled up
beside his favorite digging spot and let his spirit go to the Rainbow Bridge,
Bob and I found ourselves down to only one dog. Her name is Duffy, and she’s
from my last litter. She was an only puppy and I knew she wasn’t show- or
breeding-quality, but we fell in love, spayed her, and kept her. Where would
our next dog come from?
We decided to adopt Henley, a 3.5 year old Siberian who has
spent his life in a kennel. Our dogs live in the house with us, and Henley has
adapted beautifully so far. He knows which door to go to when he needs to go
outside. He knows to lie down and leave us alone while we’re eating. And he
knows when his meals happen, and is the most adorable dog ever as he bounces
alongside me as I go to fill the bowls. He loves sleeping in the bedroom, loves
hooking up and going for a walk or a run with me, and loves the little bit of
peanut butter on a cracker Bob doles out from time to time. We’re going to take
obedience classes, and from the casual work we’ve done already, I know he’ll
love that, too.
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| "So, where's the peanut butter, Dad?" |
What he knows, to the depths of his heart, is that he is
loved and special. No longer does he have to compete for attention and
house-time with the other dogs in the kennel – he’s ours, and we’re his. Oh,
sure, there are trying times, like when he forgets he doesn’t have to “claim”
all the new things in his life. (Note to self: try to remember how to teach a
boy dog not to mark in the house!) He and Duffy are the best of friends, but
sometimes he gets a little guard-y about his stuffed toy stash. (Note to self:
work on his sharing skills!) And he’s not very good at the front door – he’s
poised and ready to slip out if I don’t hold his collar before opening it.
(Note to self: work on his “automatic wait” skills!)
For those who might be thinking about adding a new dog to
their family, may I highly recommend being the new home for a dog whose first
home didn’t last? There are rescue groups for every breed of dog out there,
plus there are fabulous mixed breeds that make wonderful companions, too. But
if you just have to have a baby puppy, please find and buy from a good breeder.
Ask a veterinarian to put you in touch with people in the local kennel club,
who will network you to your new best friend.
But beware – expect your heart to expand in size. Dogs have
a way of doing that to us, no matter where they come from.
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| Sandra Weaver Carman |
Sandy Weaver Carman is
the CEO of Voicework on Demand, Inc., an audio production company specializing
in audio book creation. She’s had Siberian Huskies since 1979 and is an AKC
judge of the breed. When she’s not working, you can find her training a dog or
traveling to shows. And she’s helping the University of Georgia fund a new
veterinary teaching hospital, while telling the stories of pets who have been
helped by the wonderful vets and students at the current one.
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