I honestly can't pinpoint when my fear started to subside. During college, my parents friends had 2 older dogs that were just too sweet to fear. Then my sister started dating Brian Phelps and I got to know his dog, Qili...
About this time (2 1/2 years ago), Chris and I started talking about the possibility of a dog and what breeds we like. Chris said he wanted an English Mastiff. I said not a chance in hell. It didn't matter very much though because we lived in a small apartment and both worked 2 jobs.
Fastforward to fall. I go back to working one job, we get engaged and we have a house. Oh how things change... but we agreed that it would be silly for us to get a dog before we get married. HA! We both started looking right away. I see lots of adorable dogs I would love to have. And then one cold January night, I was cruising petfinder and saw the sweetest little face. One you couldn't help but love. Chris thought he was cute too, not the mastiff he wanted, but an adorable beagle mix- big enough to avoid teasing for friends about having a purse dog and small enough for Sara's wishes.
Again we said it- we don't want to get a dog before we get married. Our wedding was 4 months away. This dog is a pipe dream (but such a cute one!). Not to mention the fact that neither Chris not I had ANY experience with dogs. But day after day, I would go online and look at this dog, Henry. He was a 7 month old beagle mix who had been found on the street with a broken leg. He was taken in by Project Noah, nursed back to health and put up for adoption through Secondhand Mutts (the rescue arm of The Mutt Hutt in Tremont). I looked and looked... and looked some more. I showed the site to friends and family. Finally, I gave in, emailing the rescue to see if it was an option to foster this handsome little man to make sure we could handle the responsibility. It was! Lots of emotions rushed through me. Joy. Rapture. Complete and total fear. Mostly the fear.
The day I took him home, Henry went in the house 3 times, chewed through 5 dollar store toys and started to steal my heart. Here is a picture from that first night (this rope toy made it 2 days)...
Things got better. We bought better toys (kong and nylabone are our best friends these days). The accidents became fewer and and farther between. I became totally obsessed with the show "it's me or the dog" and training books. But I still wasn't sure if this was something we could manage permenantly. Chris was still working 2 jobs so I was basically a single doggie foster mom. Not to mention that by this point it was February and the snow was 2 feet deep. Standing outside every 2 hrs waiting for a puppy to go to the bathroom was not really my idea of fun. We had to dig Henry a potty area in the backyard because the snow was up past his belly. Then 2 weeks in, we had to make a decision. Someone wanted to meet Henry. They were interested in adopting him. Still totally unsure, our answer was immediate- we want to keep him.
We've come a long way since then. I taught Henry to lay down, stay, come, dance and high-five. Some of my proudest accomplishements! Our families fell in love and have been the biggest help! To this day I wonder how Henry broke his leg and where he was the first 6 months of his life. If only my beagle could talk! Henry is part of the family now and we have an agreement that is never allowed to die. So glad we are on the same page about that. So, to finish off- here are a few pictures from the last year & a half in Henry Land. Next post - the foster dogs cometh!
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