Adopting a Puppy

I really do not know where my head was at the time that I walked into the kennel. D'artagnan ("Dar" or "Dar Baby" for short), my elderly German Shepherd, is almost 13 years old and I knew that once he was gone, I would want to rescue another puppy. I decided to check out the choices in my adopted hometown of Houston. I knew that I wanted a dog that did not shed, having already been through more than 12 years of hair flying everywhere 24/7! I love my German Shepherd dearly. I do not love his shedding nature!!!





Back to the point -- I always wanted a black dog and I started looking at websites for Poodle rescues and Giant Schnauzer rescues. To my delight and surprise, there was a Poodle rescue facility less than 2 miles from my home! I learned that Gwinnette, the owner of Prestonwood Kennels and founder of Poodle Rescue of Houston had just taken in more than 30 Standards from a puppy mill in Missouri. I thought I would go, look at the facility and give a donation toward the upkeep of their new wards.





I got in my Explorer and drove over there, with all good intentions of making that donation. On arrival, I was told that Gwinnette had just popped out for a short while to pick up dinner. They got her on the phone and let me speak with her. Oh my, what an intuitive woman she is!! Gwinnette told me that she would be back in a short while, but in the meantime, why didn't I just take a look at the facility and the some of the dogs they had taken in. I agreed, thinking that I was only looking and really was not ready to take a dog home that would interrupt the last months of my dear Dar Baby's life.





There were so many adult Standard Poodles. All lovely dogs, in very good shape, and all extremely shy as they had been kenneled in a barn and not properly socialized by the breeder. Then, I happened upon a kennel with a champagne colored puppy. The tag on the kennel said his name was Wall-E, was given up, and that he was 6 months old.





Why in the world did I stop to look!?! Even yet, WHY did I get into the kennel with him!!! 6 months old and a ball of fuzz. Those dark eyes looking out from under the most adorable curled eyelashes you would ever want to see. He climbed all over me. So very cuddly. So very sweet! Several minutes and one slobbered over face later, I emerged from that kennel with an obvious look of love on my face.





I told Gwinnette that I was thinking of when my darling Dar would be gone and would probably then want a couple Standard Poodles. She suggested that I get one now so that Dar would train him to the what our home is like. Gwinnette reached in the kennel, pulled the fuzzy one out and looked him over. He was very thin, he back feet were splayed -- possibly from being kept in a wire crate, but she thought that good nutrition and proper exercise would take care of that -- and seemed very happy.





I explained that Dar was elderly, his back knees were bad and that he might not take well to a new puppy in the home where he has reigned supreme for so many years. Her response was that if it did not work out, I could bring him back and she would return the $500 adoption fee.





She knew a softy when she saw one. I WAS IN LOVE!!!! PUPPY LOVE!!!





Before I knew it, I was standing at the front desk, filling out papers, writing a check and hanging on to the lead of a very happy, busy puppy who decided he liked a stuffed flamingo that was having from a display.





Well, he knew what he wanted and I could not very well take him home without a toy of his own.





Then I was paying for a new stuffed toy.





Getting him in the truck was another matter. I thought all dogs loved to go for a ride! This guy just was not having it. I had to pick him up and deposit him in the back seat. I do have to say that on the short ride home, he was a complete little gentleman.