No Longer Dogless

Remember our dog, Shadow? He was with us for fourteen years before he passed away in December of 2009. He was the only dog our youngest boys have ever owned. He left a dog-shaped hole in our hearts.

Samuel and Peter have been pining for another family dog more and more. You would think with all the dogs in the world that need homes and families we would have found one easily. But, no. Maybe Shadow was just too hard of an act to follow. He was the perfect dog in the minds of our family, just too hard to replace.

Shadow was a smart dog who was obedient and eager to please. He considered me to be the leader of the pack and I appreciated his respect. Would you believe that in all those fourteen years, before he became sick and infirm, we never had to clean up a single dog pile in the yard? He discreetly hid them somewhere so that his business was never a burden or annoyance.

Would we be able to find another dog as smart, loyal and respectful as old Shadow?

We needed an old fashioned farm dog, a dog that would protect our chickens from varmints and not chase or worry them into egg infertility. We needed a dog that would support our barn cats in their occupation of exterminating the rodent population on the farm and not run them off. The boys needed a dog that would be up to ball tosses and romps in the woods, one willing to spend lots and lots of time outside in the elements. I needed a dog that would stay out of my kitchen but eat all the scraps and bones it generates.

After over a year of searching it seemed that the pet adoption centers were full of house dogs and  formerly abused dogs and lap dogs and wimpy dogs that couldn't spend too much time outside. The farm breeds could be found, but only for hundreds of dollars per puppy. What happened to the "free to a good home" dogs?

Finally, with the help of our dog-loving friend, we found one of those. Free to a good home. We drove 150 miles in the wind, rain and snow to pick him up, sight unseen. He sounded like a good fit and Katie "had a good feeling about this one" just like she did about Shadow sixteen years ago.

So doggie, Danner, came into our home. He was a bit unsure for the first few days and you could see it in his eyes.

But he was very eager to be a member of a family and willing to do his part to fit in.

In just a couple days he was much more comfortable and began to loosen up. He barked at the goats, chased a stray chicken, made a pile (or three) in the mudroom, and ran off the property for about ten heart-stopping minutes. But- he's quickly winning the hearts of our family with his already apparent loyalty and attachment, obedient compliance whenever he breaks one of Shadow's rules (off the carpet!) and gentle nature.

It's just great to have a dog in the family again.