The bittersweet journey of bringing home a new puppy
BY MARLISS SCOTT
PHOTOS BY ROCKY PHOTOGRAPHY
My husband, David, claims that I was the one who instigated us getting a puppy. He’d made a passing comment about how he wouldn’t mind getting a “bridge” dog. Ten-year- –old Thunder, our English Pointer/Black Lab mix, is entering his twilight years—his black fur now tinged with white, and the bounce gone from his step. We’d had to put down Sparky, our 15-year-old Corgi mix, in early 2020. A tough decision, one I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
My mind is like a steel trap—I don’t easily forget passing comments, especially when the subject is a puppy. Now I’ll admit, after Sparky, I was adamant that we would only have ONE dog from now on. But a seed was planted and now three years later, enter Maggie the Magnificent Magpie dog. You can just call her Maggie.
Did you know that magpies are one of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom? Our new puppy had a look of intelligence in her eyes. And just like magpies, nothing gets past her. Just ask baby Jesus and Joseph. This past holiday she devoured the figurines, leaving behind a battered Mary, whom I thankfully was able to rescue from Maggie’s clutches. Back to the “bridge” dog comment: getting a new puppy while we still had Thunder would ensure our household would never be dog-less. When I told my son Forrest about Dad’s passing comment, he was on it like white on rice. He began texting me link after link to all kinds of puppies online. Forrest and I came close to driving to Cedar City on his day off to pick up Biscuit, a Border Collie mix. The owner asked about our household, which is fairly chill. We don’t have small children, and we’re almost empty-nesters. We believe in staying fit, but they warned us that this breed tends to be high-energy. And, according to dog behaviorist Cesar Millan, pet energy and family, or “pack” energy, should be equal to or less than the lowest energy entity (human or canine). So, I reluctantly passed on Biscuit.
While shopping at Station Park in Farmington one autumn afternoon, hubby and I saw some kids walking their silver Labrador* puppy. I’d done research on Labs when my son was sending me all those puppy links. Now, we aren’t all about purebred dogs. Mutts and mixes are fine with us. We both just really liked the dog. When I asked friends about their experiences with Labs, they all agreed that they make a good family pet.
David’s birthday is in October, and it dawned on me—wouldn’t it be a great surprise to gift him a puppy? After all, HE’s the one that wanted a “bridge” dog. I’m just giving him what he wants.
It didn’t take long for me to find a silver Lab pup on KSL. I was looking for a female as I felt there was a better chance of the puppy and Thunder, a neutered male, getting along. Maggie was the last of the litter and, hallelujah, she was female. The downside was the owners lived near Price, about two hours from our home.
I had to act quickly. They were making a trek to Cabela’s in Lehi THAT evening and suggested I meet them there, cutting the commute in half. I couldn’t drive down there and not tell David what was going on. and I felt he should have the final say on whether he wanted her.
At 12 weeks, Maggie was sweet, she was cuddly, and those eyes! Of course, we got her and promptly spent bundles of money buying dog accouterments galore! Kennels, leashes, toys, food, and treats. We took her for her wellness check and enrolled her in a puppy training class which, Cesar Millan says is more about training the humans than it is about the dog. So true.
Now at almost seven months, Maggie is considered a teenager in dog years. She’s fun, she’s rebellious, she’s sassy, and she’s a challenge. I’ll admit we have questioned more than once what we were thinking getting a puppy. And yes, maybe you knew this already, besides being smart, Labradors are considered “high-spirited.” Guess we didn’t dodge THAT bullet.
My canine quest takeaways? Despite the challenges, like housebreaking, daily walks in 30-degree weather, and potty breaks at 4 a.m., pets can bring us joy. They embrace life to the fullest and drag us along. Even with the destroyed manger debacle, you can’t help but laugh at their antics. Pets, including cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, and even fish, bring our blood pressure down, alleviate stress and anxiety, and help with loneliness and depression. Most importantly, they give us unconditional love.
I recently discovered animal shelters across the state and country are experiencing pet over-capacity. If we find ourselves in another canine quest, we will be sure to check out shelters and rescue agencies. After all, they are filled with active and healthy pets of all ages ready to share their love with us.
*According to thelabradorsite. com, the silver Lab has a dilute gene which turns their chocolate fur into a pale silvery grey.
Pet Adoption Resources
County Shelters
Animal Care of Davis County
daviscountyutah.gov/animalcare
801-444-2200
Weber County Animal Shelter
[email protected]
801-399-8244
Salt Lake County Animal Services
adoptutahpets.org
385-468-7387
Pet Rescue Agencies
Best Friends Animal Society
bestfriends.org/salt-lake-city
801-574-2454
Hearts4Paws
hearts4paws.org
801-867-9564
A New Beginning Animal Rescue
anbrescueanimals.com
801-916-3924