Back in the Saddle

So, I think I'm ready.

Readers of this space will know that several months ago, we said goodbye to Wacko the Wonder Dog. It was difficult and painful, as he was in my humble opinion the absolute best dog ever. He was at the very least the perfect dog for me, and the best companion I could have ever asked for. His decline was heart-wrenching, and the end was of course inevitable.

People are of widely differing views on when is the best time to replace a beloved pet. Or perhaps replace isn't the right word, since of course nobody could *ever* actually replace Fido/Fluffy/Tweety/Frank-the-Turtle/whoever. But you know what I mean--get another animal. I know people who go out quite literally a few days later, and I also know people who have waited years. Neither approach is right or wrong. It's right or wrong for the people doing it. Had I gone out dog-shopping the next day it wouldn't have meant that I loved or missed Wacko any less. But, I wasn't ready. I needed to mope and be sad for a while. And, frankly, we said goodbye to him smack in the dregs of a Cleveland winter. Just as a practical matter, the last thing I want is to be training a dog when it's minus ten and/or with a foot of snow on the ground. I needed to wait.

But I think I've waited long enough. Chris has been very good about deferring to me on this issue, making clear that he's ready when I'm ready. And I think I'm ready. I want another dog in my life and I think I'm ready to handle one. Lord knows the children are ready--Abra comes home with a new dog breed book from the library each week: "Mom? Can we get a German Shepherd/Chocolate Lab/Dachshund/Yorkshire Terrier/Bloodhound/Dalmatian?" Good lord.

But really I know what I want to do. Chris and I have already been to a couple of shelters. I understand the argument in favor of shopping carefully for a purebreed puppy, going to a reputable breeder with a money-back guarantee, I really do. When you go that route you have a very good idea, if you've selected your breeder wisely, of what sort of an animal you'll get and you lower the risk that you'll get a thoroughly unsuitable pet. With shelter animals, especially the Dogs Of Indeterminate Genetic Heritage, you sort of shrug your shoulders and make an educated guess.

But quite honestly, acquiring a pet, just as acquiring children, is pretty much a crapshoot anyway. You try to do some research and not make a totally stupid decision, then cross your fingers and roll the dice and hope for the best. Chris and I both have a pretty good idea of certain things that are deal-breakers for us (he has a couple more deal-breakers than I do, but not an unreasonable number so it's OK), as well as a pretty good idea of roughly what we'd like to see. So starting tomorrow, with some fond memories of Wacko tucked away in my pocket for good luck, I'm going to head out with the husband and children to the APL to look for a new canine family member. If the stars align for it, we may have one by this time tomorrow. If not, it will be soon.

Oh, by the way, the cats will be pretty pissed, so stay tuned for that.