I’ve decided to adopt a dog.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it and am finally settled into my new home and ready to pull the trigger. I need a small dog since I live in a townhouse and don’t have yard. I don’t want a yapper or one that sheds, so I’m looking at a mix with some combination of Poodle, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Havanese or Lhasa Apso.

I need a dog that can be trained to use reusable pee padsthat I’m going to set up in my laundry room for early morning, late night and crappy weather potty needs. After talking with a number of people at the shelters and rescues, I’ve decided that I want a dog between 1-5 years old who is a rescue or was never completely housebroken. I would love to be able to offer a better life to a dog who is a breeder release and has spent her life having puppies and living alone in a cage. A dog like this deserves so much love and should be easier to train to the pee pads than a dog who lived in a loving home and understands that potty breaks are always to be done outside.

Not being someone who picks anything easily (you should see how long it took me to buy a couch!), I’m taking my time. I’ve visited the Humane Society of Missouri a few times and met a couple of dogs at adoption events. I’m scouring PetFinder every day, looking for new dogs getting added and waiting to connect with the rescue groups for a couple of dogs I’ve picked out.

Meet Darcy:

I met Darcy last weekend ago and almost took her home.

She immediately curled up on my lap and didn’t move even though I wasn’t holding onto her collar in the middle of a busy pet store.

She let me pick her up and handle her however I wanted. She just wanted to be held and petted. When I took her outside for a quick walk, she perked up and her tail didn’t stop wagging. When I stopped and sat down and called to her, she immediately came over to me and crawled back in my lap.

So why didn’t I take her home?

That’s hard. It was just a feeling. She is smaller than I wanted and was nervous that she would be overwhelmed with bigger dogs at a dog park. She probably wouldn’t last on a long walk either as she is probably 10 lbs at the most. She’s about the size of a average adult cat.

She is a Havenese which doesn’t shed and is good for allergy sufferers. She didn’t bark once when I was with her.

Darcy is 6 years old and was retired as a breeder dog. She really deserves a home and I’m hoping someone I know will want her.

Darcy’s PetFinder listing…

Meet Lola:

Photo credit: Randolph County Humane Society via PetFinder

Lola is another dog I almost took home. When I met her, she immediately flipped over onto her back and begged for me to rub her tummy. Each time she approached me she either climbed into my lap, nuzzling her head into my body, or rolled over for a rub. One time when I took her outside for a short walk and sat down, she even laid down on a hard concrete curb to demand a tummy rub.

Lola was the first dog I was drawn too, but I hadn’t thought about getting a Shih Tzu and wanted to read up on the breed before making a decision. I went back the following week to look at her again. She is absolutely beautiful and has had a hard life so far. She deserves a wonderful home.

Lola is about 3 years old and was turned over to the rescue group covered in fleas. It was so bad that all of the fur on her back was gone. The foster mom was amazed at the beautiful coat as it grew back in. She’s mostly white with apricot patches on her back and some light brown on her head and ears.

Lola is a Shih Tzu mix who has become extremely attached to her foster mom. So attached that she seems to sense when she is about to be adopted and her fear of being taken from her current mom results in her snapping a bit. She apparently did it with someone else before me who was just about to take her home. When I was petting her a couple of times on my second visit, she suddenly snapped, then jerked away. She very quickly settled down and was friendly again. According to her foster mom, she has never once snapped at her or her husband or any visitors to their home. She thinks that once Lola is settled in with a new owner, she’ll shift her allegiance to her new owner and will be just as gentle as she is in their home.

Unfortunately, the snapping was enough to scare me off. I grew up with a couple of dogs but have never had one of my own. As a first time dog owner, I’m just not prepared to handle Lola.

But I do believe that she will be a wonderful pet for someone who has some dog experience. She is used to living with other dogs now, so she should easily fit into your home if you already have a dog or two.

Lola’s PetFinder listing…

I’m still looking for my new dog.

I’ll keep you posted if I come across any other adorable pups that just aren’t right for me. If you want more information about either Darcy or Lola, let me know and I’ll tell you everything I know. If you take one of them home, let me know we we can get together for a visit!