Puppy Love

Everyone loves puppies.  They’re fuzzy and adorable little babies, and their size and vulnerability and cuteness prompt powerful instincts to protect and care for them.  And to get out of bed in the middle of the night because they’re whining.  And to cover our floors with wee-wee pads and clean up their accidents.  And to remove the chewed up smart phone chargers or leather wallets from their mouths.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve helped raise a puppy; I’ve been there and I’d do it again if called upon.  But it was remarkable to bring home our six-month-old rescue mutt – a young dog someone else had already crate trained and housebroken and who arrived with his vaccinations, a microchip, a starter set of manners, and the ability to walk on a leash.  In the weeks since he’s been in his new home he has not had one accident – a testament to the care and training he received from someone I’m unlikely ever to meet.

A neighbor once told me about bringing home a rescue mutt and taking him out in the yard to see if he would “fetch.”  This neighbor was astonished that his new dog not only caught the tennis ball, but also “threw” it back to him – evidence that someone had spent a lot of time playing ball with the dog.

Our pup quickly and easily integrated into our home, our routines, and our lives, and we have benefited greatly from the efforts of the folks who fostered him prior to his adoption.

There are no “freshness” or “sell by” dates on rescue mutts.  And I, for one, don’t feel like I missed out on a thing by adopting an “older” dog instead of a puppy — except maybe a few nights of lost sleep.