Meet Clara

Last week I introduced you to Dutchess.  She was our old girl, our unique lab who posed quite a few challenges for us over the years.  Matt and I had discussed on more than one occasion what we would do when Dutchess went to doggie heaven… cause lets face it- the worst part of owning a pet is that they never live as long as we do.  There was no doubt in our minds that we would have another dog, or 2… it was just a matter of how we would go about acquiring said dog(s).

The official decision- we wanted to continue to own a rescue dog AND we wanted to get a puppy. Ideally we would have a black lab and a golden doodle and maybe a few more down the road- because every kid needs to have their own puppy.  

We began our search by going to the SPCA- we visited 2 different locations- where the population of dogs was 90% pit bull.  Our lease does not allow pit bulls so that limited any chance of success.  There was one black lab that we took out to play with- he was nameless… Matt and I have never named a dog.  We were at a loss and decided that after having a Jasmine and a Dutchess the only possible name we could give a male dog was…. Aladdin… sadly "Aladdin" provided a Dutchess-like response to other dogs- a major NO on our list… so we said our goodbye and continued the search.  

We had some very firm in our requirements… MUST be friendly with other dogs, and have hope for being around children….

After this visit we met Clara… she was a love!  We had some thinking to do because she was YELLOW and not dog in need of a new home.  We were really hung up on the rescuing a dog thing so we debated for a few days and had our DC getaway...

We went to a Lab adoption day after our DC trip.  We found Dutchess at a similar event many moons ago… we found several dogs here that were ok- they met our requirements and preferences… black labs, needing to be rescued, good with other dogs, children friendly… we even took one (Tank) for a walk to try and bond with him… he was a great dog but the connection wasn't quite there.  Sure we could have brought him home (same with 2 others) and had a happy life together but it wasn't the perfect match we felt we needed.  All the while Clara was hanging in the back of our minds…

As we drove home it was clear as day- Clara was meant to be our next fur-kid!  (side note- Tank did find his "furever" home)  

Let's talk about Clara… we learned about Clara after I sent a message to my mom's BFF who breeds golden doodles… I asked her to put us on the list for the next litter of doodles… she offered her condolences for Dutchess, assured me I was on the list and then shared about Clara- a sweet yellow lab who she had gotten as a puppy.  She was giving Labradoodles a try and Clara was the lady to produce the pups.  After the first litter she determined that she should stick to golden doodles and that meant Clara was now just one of the gang- no future litters for her… When she learned that we were looking for a new lab- she shared that Clara could use a home that would offer her lots of love, attention and just a bit of spoiling.  WE HAVE THAT!  So we met Clara- loved her… gave finding a dog needing rescued a fair shot… and kept coming back to Clara… Before we headed for Vegas (more on that adventure to come) we made the official decision to give Clara a new home once we got back.  

There was a small part of us that felt guilty for getting a dog that already had a home- Clara wasn't being given away to just anyone- she had a home where she  could have stayed forever… but when our attempts to find the perfect rescue dog were unsuccessful… 

I picked Clara up on Saturday… she fit in right away- tail wagging, sniffing everywhere, giving kisses, asking for belly rubs, playing with toys… it was like she was meant to live with us!

 We took her for a walk and it was a completely different experience from the walks we have had with Dutchess.  No going crazy at other dogs, walking calmly at our side and no need for extra bags!

This sweet girl loves to be my shadow.  She lays in the middle of the kitchen floor while I cook.  She jumps up on the "dog" couch to snuggle (but not the good couch) and she snuggles in bed but jumps down to sleep on the floor.  

The tail is wagging or she is snoring- she's just a happy girl!  She carries around her toys proudly and alerts me if there are any strange people around- including the neighbor getting his mail (yea we are gonna work on that).  We are also working on not wrapping me up with the rope when playing fetch.

She came from a home that had other dogs and kids running around- which means we are looking forward to a new social life that includes puppy play dates and visits to Grandma's and the pool.  

I'm sure there will be many more posts that include Clara in the future cause we just LOVE our new fur kid! 

What a week...

I can't believe I disappeared for a week… well not completely… in my absence I have been working on crafting future posts to tell my story… they take a lot out of me so I write one day and then review later to make sure it really says what I want it to.
But the real reason for my absence is that 2013 continues to kick my rear end…. I am SO ready for this year to be over!  As if losing my son, an extremely difficult spot in my marriage, and resigning my job and ruining my chance on getting hired for the current school year (more on that later) weren't enough… We said good-bye to my old girl this weekend.

Meet Dutchess… She was my best furry friend this past year.  

We adopted Dutchess from Lab Rescue in September 2006.  She was our 2nd black lab- and she had BIG shoes to fill after having Jazzy.  The moment AFTER we committed to adopting her we learned she literally knew NOTHING about being a pet.  She had been a stray (the adoption event had info on each dog- her info said something along the lines of: Found as a stray.  Spayed and heart worm negative.- Other dogs had huge paragraphs… we picked the one who had zero info.)  She didn't know how to jump into the truck, how to walk on indoor floors, how to climb stairs… not to mention she knew nothing of basic commands like sit and stay. 

With a lot of love and work we turned her around as best we could.  The vet helped us determine that the spots on her ears that we were told were fly bites were really scars from dog fights… which explained why she NEVER liked other 4-legged creatures…. 

2.5 years into our lives with Dutchess- she had turned into a Daddy's girl and only slightly gray.  

Dutchy loved people- she thought anyone who came to visit was there to see her… we had to speak in code to use words like walk (klaw, stroll or tour),  food (doof), and ride (r-i-d-e) as they were all things that got her attention even when she was in the deepest of sleep.  The beach was one of her favorite places to visit even though she hated the water.  She was a snuggler and in her old age had started to enjoy "selfies." 

She was our side kick for sure!  Phil at our garage- Quality Service Center commented on more than one occasion that Dutchess reflected our personalities/expressions perfectly.  

We had noticed her getting very old- you can see the "gray beard"… she moved slower, her back legs working as one, slept longer, eating changed… we knew her time was coming… Last saturday she started going down hill quickly and late Monday night (at bedtime) she stopped eating (and the tears started flowing.)  Matt and I spent the night taking turns sleeping on the floor with her (she wouldn't jump into bed and refused to be picked up) and she snuggled us close!  In the morning she got up and wagged her tail for a few steps and then curled up on one of her favorite blankets.  We called the vet (that's a very hard call to make!) and carried her (all nestled in that blanket)… one last ride in the car to the vet… where we learned she had kidney failure.  They took her out of the room (after much hesitation from us) to put in an IV and she decided she needed to WALK back into the room to be with us… she walked in tail wagging and planted herself right next to Matt- all she wanted was to be with us.  We bawled!  We loved on her and said our goodbyes.  The vet said "I can tell she was a special pet."  No sir- she was a life saver during the hardest months of my life!  She was a big sister- we realized after we knew- that she knew I was pregnant much before we did… she was a best friend… she stuck around until she knew Matt and I had our stuff together.  I strongly believe there is a reason she went downhill a week AFTER we were baptized… 

Dutchess was a disaster… a slobbering, shedding disaster… but she LOVED us… and we LOVED her… she LOVED our friends… and you either loved her or couldn't wait for her to leave you alone… She made life interesting… and we now have quite a list of "requirements" for our next dog- most of them things we learned from dear Dutchess…

One thing is for sure… We loved Dutchess and we miss her terribly!  I hate coming home to a dog-less home!  

We are taking advantage of our dog free time… Matt took me on a spur of the moment overnight getaway- something that always had to plan well in advance so we had a dog sitter… I'm cleaning like crazy (and feel like I'm getting somewhere without a dog shedding over everything I clean) and we are making plans for bringing a new dog home.   

In the mean time… one last snapshot of my BFF (Best Furry Friend) and all of her fuzzy, squeaky friends…  

We Love You Dutcy and Miss you so very much!