We have been considering for months, if not longer, to get a dog. 3 out of 4 kids in the Carranza household have voted in favor and Catherine, bless her heart, insists on another cat.
We have visited Pet Stores, met several adoptable pets, scoured online adds, classifieds and researched different breeders.
We were "lucky" one day to take care of a stray chocolate brown lab who was wandering our neighborhood on a rainy day. He had a bandaged foot but was pretty dirty so I debated on bringing him inside the house. I set up a makeshift bed in our backyard under our deck stairs but the dog followed me up the stairs to our very small deck. This is a Chihuahua sized deck, not a Labrador sized deck, so I decided to wipe his feet and Sofia and I brought him in and drew him a warm bath. Mind you, this is not a small lab...and in the end, we had to enlist Fernando in helping to lift him into the tub. He loved it after the initial shock! (The dog) and He hated doing the dirty work (Fernando) but he was squeaky clean and Sofia gladly blow dried him.
We reported him lost to the Humane Society and the local animal shelter and were prepared to wait a day or two until his owner(s) appeared, all the while hoping that they wouldn't!
We fed him, played with him and after I picked up the girls from school and had just crossed the railroad tracks entering our neighborhood, I spotted a suspicious "have you seen me" poster. I almost missed it and decided to back-up the car and take a second look, and lo and behold, it was Riley who had a bandaged foot and had been missing overnight!
Oh well, we enjoyed him enough to want one for ourselves and Riley's mom and dad were very happy to have him back once we notified them.
So now we are on the hunt and have considered everything from a mutt to a purebred.
Originally I did not want a puppy as I dreaded the potty training, but have found it difficult to find an adult dog that fits our needs and that gets along with "active" kids, so I have decided to go for the puppy. I have found that many are crate trained and potty trained before they come to you anyway.
One of my requirements is short hair. I'm still finding "Riley" hair in the oddest places of my house! So low shedding is always a plus. I also prefer a white or mostly white dog so I can spot any stray fleas! (My eyes aren't what they used to be)
As much as I love large breeds (I once had a beautiful brindle Great Dane named Helga), our house is just not big enough and I'm not a fan of tiny dogs. I just cannot handle their temperament and neither can Catherine (she's scared to death of them!). Therefore, we are going for the medium size dog and we have a few breeds that we would really enjoy, but will possibly go for either an English bulldog or a bull terrier. The English bulldog seems to be friendlier overall and remains my top pick, besides, I love their stocky build and squished-in faces!
So, hopefully, I will soon be writing about our new family member and our great adventures.
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Well I can honestly say that our Labradoodle has been a perfect fit and he doesn't shed! He hasn't messed in the house once since he was 5 months old and wouldn't even mess in our campsite when we took him camping (waited for a walk!) They do come in smaller sizes, have lots of energy, but can be mellow, and are great around children! He's super smart, and best of all, thinks he's just one of the family. Afton loves him! Good luck on your hunt for the perfect puppy... I would definitely recommend a poodle mix! Just have to budget for grooming every couple of months...still better than picking hair off of everything.
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