Monday, October 10, 2011

Meet Boston

 The following were on my list to get done this fall:
  1. Take a trip to New England to see the autumn leaves and to visit with friends and family.
  2. Get a puppy.

I began my search for a puppy before we left on vacation, but thought it would take at least a month after we got home to find the perfect fit.  Well, that was not the case.  On my husband's first day home, he looked at ads in the newspaper for golden retrieve pups.  He was just doing the preliminary research so we could  get serious about finding our new pet.  It seems that we didn't need to search long.  The very first litter of golden retriever pups that we went to visit had the one that stole our hearts.  (Of course, that was easy.  We love golden retrievers, and who doesn't love a puppy?)



The nice family who owned our new pup's mom had named the one we picked out Titan.  I loved him for his combination of spunk, independence, and sweetness.  He seemed to stand out in the litter of ten.  He won my heart, but I walked away for a few hours to think about it.  Ok, the truth is I had to go directly to the bank to take out the cash to purchase my new little bundle of love.  We also had to go to the pet store to buy a kennel, toys, food, treats, or in other words, to begin to make sure our puppy had everything he might need to be happy.

We also needed to think about naming our addition to the family. Boston was the first name that popped into my mind.  We had just returned from our visit to that wonderful city.  The breeders were originally from Boston.  Boston seemed to be the perfect name for our third golden retriever.

We were heartbroken when we had to put our dear 11 year old Buster down due to a cancer we didn't even know he had just three days after the death of Julie in 2010.  (You can read about  Buster here.)  We missed our dear companion so much for so long, but both of us knew we just weren't ready to get another dog.  We had agreed that Fall 2011 would be a good time to start looking for a dog.

It didn't take us long.  Boston won us over the minute we saw him.  Now, we are training a new puppy.  What were we thinking?  We are spending a lot of time in the yard, a place he already prefers to be, trying to housebreak him.  He has earned an "A" from me in that department.  He is doing nicely.  At night, we are enduring the first few nights of kennel training.  He slept through the night last night.

I forgot how much time a puppy takes, but it is all worth it.  I really don't know how I made it so long without a dog in the house.  We needed new life in this place.  We needed something to look after, to train, to love, to watch grow.  It is hard to be sad with a puppy in the house.  "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."  ~Ben Williams


*  My daughter Keicha also added two new puppies to her household recently.  I knew as soon as I saw pictures of her beautiful Sophie, that I too would soon succumb to "puppy love."  You can read about her new addition here.  



23 comments:

  1. Hi Sally, Wow--you all have had a nice Fall so far.. First a great trip and now a new puppy... Boston is awesome. What a cutie.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. What an adorable little pup!!!!!! And what a great name! I love it! Enjoy Enjoy!!!!
    Blessings, Joanne

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  3. What a cute dog, and a great name. Sounds like you're off to a great start with the training, too. Enjoy!

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  4. I am thrilled that you found the perfect dog so quickly. He is purely adorable and my what big feet he has.
    Puppies do take a lot of time but being retired, that is a good thing.
    Have fun and I hope the chewing stage goes quickly.

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  5. Looks like mutual love at first sight.Now I am off to check out Sophie and walk down memory lane tp become acquainted with Buster.

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  6. What a wonderful addition to your family. I know Boston will bring you much joy and love. I will be looking forward to hearing about your adventures with that precious little guy.

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  7. You both look ecstatic as you hold him. What a wonderful new family you have just made. :)

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  8. Oh, how wonderful! Puppies are, indeed, lots of work in the beginning, but like babies, they grow and learn and become all we hoped for before we know. It is worth the work. Enjoy your new family member!

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  9. Dear Sally, your posting last year about Buster brought tears to my heart for I remembered saying good-bye to two cats--Dulcy and Eliza--who meowed their way into my life and my very soul.

    When they died--Dulcy in 1989 and Eliza in 2009--I felt as if my home had lost its soul.

    Like you, I waited awhile before visiting the animal shelter to discover which cat would choose me. (I brought home four!) Now I feel as if I live in a family again.

    Boston is a dear. I'm glad the three of you have one another.

    Peace.

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  10. aw what a cute puppy and congrats on the adoption

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  11. I'm from Boston and love that city so I approve of your puppy name. What a good gift to give yourself! Joy to you all.

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  12. Ooh, what a darling little guy! There is just nothing sweeter than a puppy! I visited Boston for the first time last April and it is my new favorite city! What a great name for your new family member! I know he will bring you much love and joy!

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  13. Awwww... Sally... I can see why you fell in love with that bundle of love. I've never owned a puppy so I can't imagine what it takes to train one. Sounds to me like you and hubby are experts!

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  14. Oh, yes!
    I can see all the love the little guy is going to get. Happy Trails!

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  15. Oh, Sally, he is beautiful! I'm so glad you have a sweet puppy in your life, again! Golden Retrievers are my absolutely favorite dog! They're the best!

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  16. What a wonderful acquisition! Aren't you fortunate woman?

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  17. Your story brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy for you that you have taken this step.I miss pets and someday hope to have one again,a dog to grow old with us.I don't know if I could do the puppy stage again so good for you but yours is beautiful and I LOVE the name!

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  18. Boston is wonderful -- both the city AND your new family member -- he's the cutest thing ever. I've often thought that if i were to have a dog lifestyle, this is the kind I would get! Maybe it's the orange color! I read Keicha's post -- It delighted me!

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  19. You can suck me in with a cute puppy story anyday. Had to check you out to see how retired English teachers live. My daughter is a new English teacher. Dianne

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  20. Checkin you out today. I had to see how the retired Enlgish teacher lives. You can hook me with a puppy story any day. Dianne

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  21. Such a cutie! I'm so happy for you and your new addition. Our Toby turns 4 on Halloween and I can't begin to express the joy he brings to us every single day. Looking forward to reading about your adventures as Boston grows.

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  22. I love your new baby....so slow at catching up on blogs....nice posts about your trip, too.

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  23. Ohhhhhhh - Sally! I've been thinking about a pup, too. Just don't know if we're ready (though we aren't getting any younger). Our Breezy (Golden) died at age 12 1/2 6 years ago. I still really miss her company, especially when I'm walking alone on the trails. Goldens are the cutest puppies! Boston is a perfect name. (I guess you might be calling him "Boss" on some days...)

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