How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?

Here it is after noon, and I have not accomplished much of anything today. Unless you count perusing Petfinder online as productive. Looking for a pet to adopt is a little overwhelming. Do you know how many dogs are looking for their forever family? 

Chuck's favorite dog was a chocolate Labrador retriever named Mocha. My most recent dog, and one of my most beloved pets, was Marley, a Boston terrier. 

At first, I was spending a lot of time viewing Boston terriers, but so many of them had serious issues: spina bifida, blindness, deafness, uncontrolled bowels and bladders. I began to think a mixed breed would have less problems. 

Then I happened upon a compromise, of sorts. I found two dogs that were mixes of Labs and Bostons! Does that sound so strange? Well, to each her own, but I found them to be adorable!

This is the mama. Her daughter is in the picture at the top.

I'm pretty sure I'm alone in my enthusiasm for these little Boston retrievers; Chuck didn't seem too impressed. That's okay. WE'RE GOING TO GET A DOG! I'm not too particular about WHICH dog; I just want a dog. 

Chuck and I have been dog people most of our lives, but back in the day, when we found ourselves divorced and single, life without a dog became the new normal for us. When your life is about working all week, and trying to socialize on the weekends, your focus is not where a dog needs it. 

We are ready to become a dog family. A family with a dog. Does anything make a house homier than having a dog? (Okay, you cat lovers, I should have said is anything more homey than having a PET. There.)

In my piece, For the Love of Marley, I was celebrating the greatest little Boston terrier I've ever loved, and I've loved a few. I knew my days with him were numbered, as it came time to surrender him after my divorce. As I reflected on my life with him, I concluded: 

"I realize that Marley will not be with me forever; that is a given with any family dog. No matter how much time we have left together, I promise to make the most of it, and to love him for as long as I have the chance. I'm so grateful for him, and because of Marley, I know that I will never be without a dog. No dog can replace him, but I now know that a life without a dog is a life diminished." 

We've been without a dog long enough. It is time to open our hearts and home to a fur baby who will belong to Chuck and me. I am so excited; I can hardly wait. Back to dog shopping!