It’s almost two years since our last dog passed away. And the kids have been begging for a new one. My wife is the last to relent, but eventually we all come around.
It’s time.
We want short hair.
No puppies.
A small dog.
A rescue.
I have memories of visiting the RSPCA shelter as a kid - a dusty set of concrete shacks that reverberated with the sounds of barking dogs and stressed-out cats. I’m pretty sure one of our family dogs or cats came from there. Picked it up and away we went.
But I soon discover the process isn’t so easy. We are committed to a rescue but it’s proving difficult.
The processes behind adoption have rightfully become more complex since the 90’s. We must apply online. Every dog comes with an $800 price tag and an honest description of the dog's neuroses and hang-ups. Finding a dog that will actually fit a home with small kids is tricky.
And there’s a lot of anxiety going around.
We don’t need more anxiety. We want to reduce anxiety.
We keep looking, but we lose faith that a rescue will happen.
We are on holidays visiting family at the beach when we stumble across a golden retriever. She is so gorgeous, politely and enthusiastically greeting us and collapsing onto the ground for belly rubs.
All four of us remember that dog and pine for it.
Golden retrievers are expensive, my wife and I say. And we want a small dog with short hair.
Right?
Turns out all the dogs are on Gumtree. We browse through hundreds. Short hair breeds are lovely, but my wife and I keep pausing on long-hairs.
No, we don’t want to vacuum.
But also, we need a dog to cuddle. This family of people with anxiety disorders need something soft and warm to anchor us all.
So, ok. Not a rescue. And a long hair.
But no puppies.
And small.
Small yappy dogs.
Anxious, prancey dogs.
Sweethearts, but with health problems.
Ernie - our last dog - was a Cavalier. He was an expensive ‘special’ dog who was dumber than a post and ended up with teeth, bone and heart problems.
We want a stable dog.
An expensive dog.
We want a golden retriever.
We drive out to the breeder on a Saturday. In the Autumn cool, there is a quartet of puppies waiting.
He’s the first one we pick up. A soft lump who easily relaxes into my wife’s embrace.
On the second day, we decide he is called ‘Louie’.
In a year, Louie will be a beautiful dog. He is intelligent, gentle and affectionate.
He is currently a puppy - and comes with all that that entails. We now have a third baby. We are up at night. We are cleaning piss and shit.
However, he is an investment, and we treat him accordingly. And we are safe in the knowledge we have found the dog our family needed.
So, meet Louie.
"A soft lump" is the best description of a goldie pup I've ever read. They stay soft, and simply become bigger lumps. Big, empathetic, soft, decent, joyous, dedicated, loyal lumps. The kind of lumps that encourage the best kind of growth. Congratulations.
Louie looks adorable. When I was a teenager we added an 8 year old stray golden to our collection of dogs - all rescues from the streets that found their way to our door. I'm glad Louie found his forever home without any trauma. He may not be a rescue, but I'm sure he's perfect.