The Why’s
OK, OK, I promise this blog won’t turn into Poemonkey. Well, OK, maybe only a little. Cause, hello!?!? He’s so damn cute. But several of you asked me why why WHY a puppy, why so QUICKLY, and why so BIG?
Here’s the thing.
You may not remember, but we had a Chow named Rio back in the day who was the best doggy on the whole planet. I know you think your dog is the best, and I hate to burst your bubble, but really, Rio was THE BEST. And she had a bad bout of cancer two years ago and we had to put her down.
Oh lord, did our hearts break that day.
It took us nearly a year to be ready to spread her ashes.
And lord, have we missed her.
But we also have enjoyed the freedom. Especially with a little one running around. The freedom to just jump up and go to the store whenever. To not have to run home from work and let the dog out. You know, all that doggy baggage.
But Bryan is a dog person. There is no doubt about that. So, we had been tossing the idea around for a while, and always, Bernese Mountain Dogs were top of our list.
See, we’ll NEVER have a Golden Retriever. Never have a Terrier. Never have a Poodle. Don’t get me wrong. They are all really nice dogs. But they are not for us. I am a big believer that if people spent more time finding a dog that matched their personalities, there would be a whole lot less dogs in shelters.
Chows match our family. But guess what? Chows are on a list of dogs that are banned by our home owner’s insurance. Our agent had to go to bat for Rio when they changed their policy, because he knew her and knew what a great dog she was.
Personally, I believe there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.
And a lot of people don’t understand Chows. Don’t understand that they have poor peripheral vision, so children tend to startle them. Don’t understand that they are strong willed, so you have to be a strong owner. Don’t understand that they can get solitary, so they need tons and tons of socialization.
We loved our Chow. But when she passed we knew we could not have another, which is unfortunate. The Bernese Mountain Dog was always the breed at the top of our list after that. Who doesn’t want a dog they can walk AND ride???
So, when our friends up the street brought home a Berner, the situation presented itself. QUICKLY. And we ended up with Enzo’s brother, the last of the litter, clearly the runt. So maybe Poe won’t grow to the full 100 pounds? Maybe???
Either way, we *are* a little freaked with the decision, but it truly wasn’t rash.
And who could have said no to THIS?
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I think Poe needs his own blog. “A Day in the Life of a Giant Hamster”.
Poe is so adorable – I love his markings. Have fun potty training him!
I work with a burmese mountain dog named Winston. I regularly think about sitting on him and letting him take me for a ride. He is a fantastic dog and he loves my little Nixon.
He’s not keen on kids under four but the bigger kids he adores. He’s a great dog.
I hope Poe turns out to be just as wonderful for your family as Winston is for his.
I work with a burmese mountain dog named Winston. I regularly think about sitting on him and letting him take me for a ride. He is a fantastic dog and he loves my little Nixon.
He’s not keen on kids under four but the bigger kids he adores. He’s a great dog.
I hope Poe turns out to be just as wonderful for your family as Winston is for his.
I had a dog that was part Chow and she had some snappish moodiness but she was also a real love. You’re right about dog owners being bad, not dogs who are bad.
I don’t see how you could resist Poe. And total bonus if he gets big enough to ride! 😉
OMG he is SO DAMN CUTE.
Our dog is half Chow, half Lab and he’s TEH AWESOME. People always make tut-tut noises when they hear he’s part Chow, which makes me want to punch them in the neck. 😛
Yay for Poe!
totally true!!!
Well you done good. And I totally agree that people need to research breeds before getting a dog because personalities and life styles need to mesh. Not this “Oh, he’s so CUTE” crap. I applaud you.
And yeah, he’s super cute oh my LAWD!
OMG, what a sweetheart! And I agree about matching owners and breeds. I know there are certain breeds that would NOT work in this house (for example, the boxer/lab mix puppy we looked at…shudder…). But we found the perfect dog at Boulder Humane. She’s a basset/beagle adult and the perfect dog for this family. It’s all in the matching.
What a sweet little face. I definately could not have said no to that. Congrats on the new member in your family!
Damn that puppy is CUTE!
We had a chow mix and he was wonderful with Sullivan – but alot of work too.
Poe is going to be a fantastic dog. I’m really excited for you guys. (ps. couldn’t agree more with matching dog to human personalities)
I remember Rio (riofish!) he was an awesome dog.
We didn’t meet Rio until he was getting older, but he was a great dog.
Excellent point about selecting a breed for how well it matches your lifestyle and personalities. There are tons of resources out there to help with that – wish more people took advantage of them.
Oh that face! and yes, I totally agree with you that the shelters would be empty if folks would just do their research first. Daphne the Dane agrees with you, too.
That’s a great story. I’m a fan of Pomeranians for that reason – they fit my personality. Wait…does that mean I’m tiny, loud and high strung?
And, I know what you mean about letting go when it’s time. I still have two of my dogs’ ashes. I can’t let go….They were family.
Love all of your reasons. You are so right. I knew people who bred and loved chows as well as all the other “undesirable” breeds. Yeah, it’s the owners!!
Anyway, he’s gorgeous. Congrats!
he is just precious. It sucks we feel the need to defend our dog choices, but some dog owners are not as responsible as you or me.
I’ll pray that Poe only gets as big as my girl Sasha — 75 pounds. :p LOL
Enjoy him!!! (and give him a good scratch behind the ears for me, k?)
That puppy is SO seriously cute! I so want another dog…
We’re poodle people.
How can anyone ask why? Enjoy your new family member – the photos of him cuddling with the family are just adorable.
Congratulations on adding Poe as a new member of your family. I lost my Chow of 14 years and totally understand your love for Rio, my Chow was the best dog. We have since adopted two dogs and it has been the best thing ever. Hoping lots of love and laughter with Poe.
So how did you make that leap from enjoying the freedom to wanting a dog again? We put our very sick dog down ~5 years ago. Em asks for a dog all the time, and I want one too. But, I also really enjoy the freedom. Does that mean we can never have a dog. Or, will I know it when we’re ready?
wow! he is so cute!
Nat, they were on a list of about 4 or 5 breeds that the insurance company considered a danger for biting. Rottweilers were on the list too as I remember. It’s apparently becoming more and more common.
That face is irrisistable. I agree that there are no bad dogs and shelters would have fewer animals if we humans were more responsible. *avoids her soapbox*
Poe is adorable and I’m sure he’ll be a wonderful addition to the family.
So cute I am tempted to break my “dogs will never darken my door” policy!
Look at him! I’m going to have to go see what he looks like when he grows and grows and grows.
Why are chows banned?
Oh, honey. I KNOW chows. We lost ours almost four years ago. The Best Dog Ever. Our insurance wouldn’t cover her either. She always made me feel safe. Just her bark scared the crap out of big, burly guys at the house to deliver / repair / whatever. But, shhhh! She wouldn’t hurt a flea.
what a beautiful puppy. We lost the best dog ever a few years ago and I am feeling the nudge to get a puppy. Big time. So you know, thanks for convincing me puppies aren’t totally awesome.
If I had $50,000 lying around I’d make you send me a hair follicle. PoeClone!