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The Latest AdditionJune, 2008 Unbelievable. Wasn't it just last month that I was proclaiming I'd never adopt another dog? Yes, I believe it was. And here we are... The most unbelievable part is the fact that, prior to right now, we hadn't adopted a dog for 9 and a half years. Never mind that she was the third one we had adopted; none of them were ever really properly trained, and I'm convinced that I can't do it! That's really why I decided, after a year of researching about training dogs, that we shouldn't adopt again. I don't think I've got what it takes. Unfortunately, that's also why I thought Allie might be the right dog for us. See, she's already trained for the lifestyle we'd like our dogs to live. But it's unbelievable!!! Like we need another creature to feed! And a mere TWO WEEKS after Oreo's explosion was when I first considered it! I almost sent myself to a psychiatrist to have my head examined. I was almost embarrassed to even admit to my husband that I'd been thinking about it. But it was okay. Even after talking to the boys, who were all for it, about "taking responsibility" and "making the dog theirs", I got my sanity back and sent a quick email saying, "Despite the fact that I asked a lot of questions about your dog and think she's just the kind of dog we are looking for, please don't count on us as a possible home for her; I just don't think we are up for adopting another dog." Well, that's not exactly how I phrased it, but you get the idea... Then I spent the next month pushing the dog out of my mind and working hard at not feeling guilty for not being able to adopt EVERY animal that comes my way that needs a home. Good grief. Then came the posting on Freecycle: "We are moving to CA this weekend... things are down to the wire and we still have not been able to find a good home for our beloved outdoor dog. Allie's a beautiful, sweet family dog -- absolutely LOVES kids to play with. To be honest, she's not much of a "watch dog"... too gentle natured... but her sheer size/breed makes strangers think twice before getting out of the car. She was my son's birthday gift 7 yrs ago. We REALLLLY want to find a nice farm for her to live on... can anyone help??" Ahhh. Nope, we just can't do it. We don't have peace about this decision and after that fiasco with Oreo, there's just no way I want another dog. So I prayed for a home for Allie and held my breath. And kept thinking about it. And thinking about it. Hoping against hope that they wouldn't have her put down if they couldn't find a home for her. That they'd find some way to...I don't know what. Take her to a city in CA? After living free in the country all her life? Honestly, sometimes I annoy myself. Once Saturday came and went, and there was no word on the dog, I figured they'd found her a home. I tried to relax. I tried to put it out of my mind. I couldn't. Finally on Tuesday, I emailed a common friend and asked her about the move. So, did they make it okay? Did they...find a home for Allie? When the answer came, ahh, it made the third time I mentioned it to my husband. Finally I confessed, "I don't know what the right thing to do is. I need help with this. Whatever you think is best." "I'll think about it," he said. See, I had been applying my belief that if I didn't come to peace about a decision, it meant it wasn't to be. And then the thought occurred to me that perhaps this was simply one of those things that would be okay with God no matter which way we went with it. That stopped me up short. Of course, there are ramifications to every decision, but perhaps God was leaving this one in our hands to decide. So that evening, upon my husband's decision, we went to look at Allie. She had been left in the care of a family member while they continued to try to find her a home. She was as friendly and interested as the first time I met her, a month ago. She came home with us. It was just on a trial basis, mind you. After all, we have other dogs, and cats, and chickens. That's a hard task for a dog to learn--not to chase chickens--even when they grow up with them. But she's a smart dog, and she's doing very well. She's learned what I mean when I say, "No," and she's learned to sit when I tell her to--even out in the barn. We're still getting to know each other, but the boys are delighted that she likes to swim in the pond, chase a ball, and catch bits of dog food in the air. Actually, she's exactly the kind of dog I've always wanted. Not that I love my other dogs any less. It's just that they didn't have a very good trainer.
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Chantal L. DeYoe
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