Fourteen years ago a wonderful golden retriever came into my life. His name was Chase, and, like Aslan of the Narnia series, he was the most giving, loving, self sacrificing creature that I will EVER have the pleasure to know. I loved Chase with all of my heart. As his time drew to a close I was faced with the awful realization of his departure. I knew myself and I knew that I could not be without a dog and that, when Chase passed, it would be too painful to look at other dogs. So I went about finding a puppy. I wanted a dog that would be just like Chase, laid back and placid. Chase was a golden, but having grown up with the breed, I knew how rare he was among his peers. As a result, I decided to look at the only breed that ever came close to resembling Chase... a newfoundland.I went to club meetings, talked to many owners, and met LOTS of big black dogs. I fell in love. But... after talking to the owners reality set in. They told me how very expensive these dogs can be. As a teacher, I will never make loads of money so this concerned me. They also told of their many health issues, ect. The clincher for me was that their coat required LOTS of care. I was used to taking care of Chase's coat. I brushed him 2x a week and he went to the beauty parlor 1x a month. However, I was told that a Newf would have to be brushed every day. The spirit whispered to me that, although I really, really wanted a newfie, now was not the right time. This is how I ended up with Tucker Jack.
Tucker's personality is the complete OPPOSITE of Chase's personality. I was truly guided to this little ball of fur. I have made SO many friends in Utah because of the agility training that I have put Tuck through. It is a classic case of the Lord knowing what is best for us before we know it.
Even though I love Tucker and Allie (my female golden) my dream of owning a newfie never did go away. I was always convinced that I could do it. Once again, the Lord gives us exactly what we need. Last week I coordinated a rescue of 3 purebred newfoundland puppies... a dream come true. One of the female pups stayed with me for a couple of days before being adopted... by my mom and dad!!! I felt so happy that my mom and dad had finally found the dog for them, but I also felt deflated. I really liked this little girl and was seriously thinking of adopting her myself. Let me correct myself. My heart wanted to adopt her my mind said, "You don't have the means to do so." Then out of the blue the male puppy's foster home fell through. I soon found myself driving up to get him, thinking the whole time, "I wanted the male to begin with. This is perfect. Heavenly Father is totally working it out for me."
I've now had Cade, the male puppy, in my home for 5 days, and I can now say without a doubt that Tucker Jack and Allie Mae are the dogs for me. I love Cade. He's a real cutie. But having an 86 pound six month old puppy in my house REALLY makes it seem a lot smaller. The club members that I visited with before I got Tucker were telling the truth. He does require more... more food, more space, more attention. So today I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to learn this "hands on". In the meantime I get to enjoy his squishy face before sending him to his forever home. :)
Great post, and I love the picture!
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