Monday, June 4, 2012

A Rough Day In Paisleyland


Saturday was rough day in Paisleyland, as Letty interviewed for her new home.  Letty picked me as a tiny baby, and I kept her knowing that her tail might be a problem - but I HOPED it would be OK by the time she was old enough to show. Our experience has been that tails that come up as early as 4 weeks do NOT get better, while tails that come up at about 6 weeks often do. This was confirmed yet again, as Letty's ended up way too high for the show ring. That's not to say that exhibitors don't show dogs with tails like hers or get them "fixed", it's just that I don't. Otherwise she was a perfect fit for my household, smart as well as beautiful, and fun to be around. It was tempting to just keep her, but I always knew that if the PERFECT HOME came along I would let her go.  Letty deserves to be a special dog in a Special family, and I try not to keep "extra dogs" as there is a limit to how many dogs a person can truly do a good job with.  Because I have two elderly dogs who may need more care in the future, as well as puppies to deal with, this seemed the right thing to do and the right time to do it.

My Facebook friends were incredibly supportive, as most have "known" Letty through pictures and stories since she was a puppy.  My daughter's posting said it all though, "Just remember what we've always said, every dog deserves to be special and if it means going to their own home, then that's what it is. Lots of special dogs have been placed through the years - Murphy, Trivia and Marla come to mind."

That's true of course, I have placed many adult dogs and older puppies over the years.  Jocko, Toby, Carrie, Daisy, Hemery, Murphy, Bambi, Art, Trivia, Tasia, Marla, Wendal, Gemmie, and Jake, just to name a few and it hurt (in varying degrees) to see them go, and they ALL had wonderful lives in their new homes where they were cherished members of their  new families. By keeping my numbers down, and finding perfect homes for the dogs who are not part of my immediate plans/needs I have made many families happy, and my grief at their departure later turns to satisfaction that things worked out so well.

The interview went well and Letty stayed behind.  It DID seem like the perfect place for her. A loving dog-smart family with the time and determination to do a great job with Letty.  She has things to learn there of course, like living with cats and without other dogs, and being comfortable with an infant granddaughter.  I shed a lot of tears, but I know it was the right decision.  Don't blow this Letty!

Stay tuned . . .

1 comment:

Ms. Severson said...

Best of luck with the placement. We took in a second dog this last winter that I was going to rehome. The little bugger fit into our family so well though that we are now a two dog home. Our Molly is happier having a companion and is less nervous.

Any tricks to stop rampant counter surfing? He is terrible.

-Tiff from the fishclub