For those of you that have been following along, you know that I recently lost my dog, Garth. He disappeared on March 6th, and I haven't seen him since, despite searching high and low, far and wide, and advertising his sweet face literally everywhere I can think to. Cy and I miss him desperately, but I just know in my heart that someone has him, and he's not coming home. That's a very, very hard thing for me to accept, and there are tears falling as I type it. It's been almost three weeks, and I know there are crazy stories about dogs being gone for months and returning home, but I know the chances are slim, and I know in my gut he's gone. I will never, ever fully give up on him, I will always pray to see him again, and I will NEVER try to replace him. He was a unique dog full of love, and brought a so much joy into my life. I miss him immensely, and selfishly hate that I have no closure, but I am so thankful for the 3 years that God allowed me to have with him. He will always be in my heart.
I hadn't planned on getting another dog until at least the summer. I was so torn about what to do, and it was breaking my heart every day to see Cy lonely. I knew an adult dog was out of the question, because Cy needs to have a hand in raising and influencing his future best friend. (Yes, you read that correctly. Cy had a tremendous impact on Garth, and Garth knew that Cy was the boss. That's how Cy likes it, and I needed a dog that would preserve that.) I also knew that a little puppy was not a good option right now, because I would have to crate him until he was big enough to go out with Cy, and I wouldn't have all the time I needed to devote to him. Then, last Sunday afternoon while scrolling through Facebook, I happen across the sweet little face you see above. Normally, I can scroll past pictures of dogs that are available at shelters because I know they won't be a good fit. (Even though I'd save all of them if I could). But when I saw the face of this 4 month old bluetick coonhound puppy that was in danger of being euthanized, something pulled at my heart and soul. I needed him. I wanted him. I couldn't stop thinking about him. He was perfect, big enough to stay with Cy during the day, and still young enough to train. So, on my own intuition and the advice of nearly every one of my friends at Snowville, I went to see him Monday afternoon with my printed application in hand.
I knew the very second I laid my eyes on him that he would be mine. I fell head over heels for those big floppy ears and puppy dog eyes. I cried when I played with him at the shelter, because he had Garth's spirit. They are so much alike it's alarming, and I knew God sent this sweet baby to me. When I got the call Tuesday that my application had been approved, I cried some more. I jetted out of school as fast as I could, went and got him a new leash and collar, because my heart just wouldn't let me use Garth's, and went to the shelter to get him. The whole ride home he rode sprawled across the seat with his head in my lap, and you could see in his sweet little eyes that he was so glad to be going home. Everything was right. It was like he knew he belonged with me.
The most amazing part is that Cy instantly accepted him. Cy loves other dogs, but it's a different story when he's sharing his mommy. But to my surprise, Cy was an angel. He even let me love on them both at the same time. I can't even tell you how much that made my heart happy, because a lot of the reason I got Ryder was for Cy. The pleasant surprises continued- Ryder was basically housebroken. He whined to go out, and needed to go out every couple hours until about 1am, which is honestly better than I expected, and then slept through the night. He's a snuggler, and he loves sleeping with his goose toy, playing with his hedgehog, and investigating all the smells outside. He already knows how to sit, is surprisingly calm, and was even pretty good when I let him off his leash for a few minutes today. Knock on wood, he's not much of a barker, and he likes to stare at Little Bit and Elvis through the pen :) . He is the perfect fit for my little fur-family. Currently, he's sleeping on the pillows of my bed, with his goose of course, being the sweetest baby in the world. I can't wait to share more of our adventures!
-xo
Sam
I hadn't planned on getting another dog until at least the summer. I was so torn about what to do, and it was breaking my heart every day to see Cy lonely. I knew an adult dog was out of the question, because Cy needs to have a hand in raising and influencing his future best friend. (Yes, you read that correctly. Cy had a tremendous impact on Garth, and Garth knew that Cy was the boss. That's how Cy likes it, and I needed a dog that would preserve that.) I also knew that a little puppy was not a good option right now, because I would have to crate him until he was big enough to go out with Cy, and I wouldn't have all the time I needed to devote to him. Then, last Sunday afternoon while scrolling through Facebook, I happen across the sweet little face you see above. Normally, I can scroll past pictures of dogs that are available at shelters because I know they won't be a good fit. (Even though I'd save all of them if I could). But when I saw the face of this 4 month old bluetick coonhound puppy that was in danger of being euthanized, something pulled at my heart and soul. I needed him. I wanted him. I couldn't stop thinking about him. He was perfect, big enough to stay with Cy during the day, and still young enough to train. So, on my own intuition and the advice of nearly every one of my friends at Snowville, I went to see him Monday afternoon with my printed application in hand.
I knew the very second I laid my eyes on him that he would be mine. I fell head over heels for those big floppy ears and puppy dog eyes. I cried when I played with him at the shelter, because he had Garth's spirit. They are so much alike it's alarming, and I knew God sent this sweet baby to me. When I got the call Tuesday that my application had been approved, I cried some more. I jetted out of school as fast as I could, went and got him a new leash and collar, because my heart just wouldn't let me use Garth's, and went to the shelter to get him. The whole ride home he rode sprawled across the seat with his head in my lap, and you could see in his sweet little eyes that he was so glad to be going home. Everything was right. It was like he knew he belonged with me.
The most amazing part is that Cy instantly accepted him. Cy loves other dogs, but it's a different story when he's sharing his mommy. But to my surprise, Cy was an angel. He even let me love on them both at the same time. I can't even tell you how much that made my heart happy, because a lot of the reason I got Ryder was for Cy. The pleasant surprises continued- Ryder was basically housebroken. He whined to go out, and needed to go out every couple hours until about 1am, which is honestly better than I expected, and then slept through the night. He's a snuggler, and he loves sleeping with his goose toy, playing with his hedgehog, and investigating all the smells outside. He already knows how to sit, is surprisingly calm, and was even pretty good when I let him off his leash for a few minutes today. Knock on wood, he's not much of a barker, and he likes to stare at Little Bit and Elvis through the pen :) . He is the perfect fit for my little fur-family. Currently, he's sleeping on the pillows of my bed, with his goose of course, being the sweetest baby in the world. I can't wait to share more of our adventures!
-xo
Sam