Well, today I did something that I thought I wouldn't be capable of, since it has been just one week since Daisy had passed away. The plan was not for me to look for a new dog, but rather to to help a friend find a doggie companion. The local shelter is open on Saturdays from 1.30 to 5.30 pm. We got there around 2 pm. And we made our first walk through the entire shelter. And boy there are lots of dogs. that are in desperate need of a home. After that my friend had narrowed it down to 5 dogs and of course he wanted to see all of them. I was convinced that neither of them were right for him. They were either way too high energy for what he's looking for or they require an experienced hand. But being a good friend I let him figure that out for himself. And finally one of the shelter employees asked him what he was looking for. Together we narrowed the doggie profile down. So he finally got his time to spend with 3 medium to low energy dogs, that fit much better to him and his lifestyle.
My friend had asked me a couple of times earlier why I didn't want to look at dogs. I just felt that it was too early. So, while he was busy interacting with the dogs the shelter employee and I got into a conversation and she wanted to know what the deal is. I told her that Daisy had passed away 1 week ago. And she just said, when the right dog comes along you will know it. Regardless how long or short your grieving period has been. So she asked me what I was looking for. I told her German Shepard, Labrador, Bernese Mountain Dog, Golden Retriever. I didn't mention a Aussie Shepard or Cattle Dog, since they're difficult to find out here to being with. As it is with 2 people loving dogs our conversation continued and at some point it came up that I had quite a number of years experience with an Aussie Cattle Dog that was anything but a piece of cake. And as soon as the word Aussie fell, she asked me if would allow her to show me a very special Aussie girl. So I did agree. When she brought her out, the Aussie girl looked nothing like Daisy. But the behavior was so familiar. It really reminded me at a young Daisy. About the time when she first shed her big fears and came out of her shell. This dog was sweet & affectionate. Highly intelligent and had quite some energy. And of course she has the typical Aussie quirks. Hectic and needs someone to work with her physically and mentally. Likes body contact when she decides to. And of course cats, ducks etc. really get her going. No wonder that she hasn't found the right home yet. She's a great gal for someone who just loves long hikes and doesn't mind to deal with a dogs quirks. Didn't take long for her to come over to say hello. And the shelter employee said to me I think you two guys would really hit it off. The 30 minutes I spent with that Aussie dog really made me happy and feel good. Haven't felt that good for at least a couple of weeks. And it's really an amazing feeling.
Could I've been persuaded to take her home with me? Quite easily. But it wouldn't have been the right time to bring a new dog into my life. But she asked me to keep an open mind and think about it. And knowing myself I will. My friend finally picked a dog and I think they will work out together very well. On the way back we picked up some supplies he hadn't thought off and introduced the dog to his new home. I spend about 2 hours with them before heading back to my apartment. And the time I spent with that dog made me feel really good and it was amazing that this good feeling stayed with me for the rest of the evening. And of course it made me think periodically about that Aussie girl who so deserves a good and loving home. And of course it makes you think...is it too early or might this just be the right dog. At this point I'm still not sure how that is going to play out in the end. There is one thing for certain. Regardless how much it hurt to loose Daisy, I will be getting a dog again.
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