If you had told me that day we were bringing home a puppy, I would have said you were crazy.
The deep hole in my heart left by our first family dog, a beautiful Golden Retriever, still causes my heart to ache. She was my first baby. My love. My fur baby. She was several years old when the boys were born. They did not know her as a puppy.
Losing a family pet cuts differently than losing a relationship with a person. Our family pets are loyal and happy, eager to please, no matter how many hours you have been apart. When you walk outside to take out the garbage, they are just as happy to see you as if you returned from being gone all day.
Walking into the pet store that day, we went in for crickets for my son’s pet lizard. Avoiding the scorching heat on a late summer day, we made a spur of the moment decision to play with puppies, something we’ve done several times before.
My boys had love at first sight with an adorable short-haired white puppy with brown and black spots, and a big patch over his right eye named Dragon. His name was already a sign before we asked to play with him.
How to Train a Dragon, one of their favorite TV shows and movies was now sitting in front of them ready to become reality and take flight. My boys and nephew played with Dragon, and my oldest was already claiming the dog as our family pet. How could I say no?
It had been two years since we had had a family dog. The ebbs and flows of grief that set in with the loss of a family pet were not forgotten. My heart ached thinking about our first fur baby. The puppy years were hazy and somewhat forgotten, but the recent years were fresh and memorable. This puppy was an unexpected sign. A green light?
Reality set in for me. Being a pet owner, especially getting a puppy, takes time, money, patience, love, and commitment. It had been a decade and a half since I began the puppy journey with my first fur baby, Izzy.
There are times I still feel her presence. I remember our days driving in the car as she rode shotgun resting her head on my arm while I drove. The companionship of her lying next to my bed or cuddling next to me. Her never-ending patience when the boys were little, and they’d climb on her. Sometimes I wonder if her spirit is still here.
The days of her getting sick and passing away are forever etched into my heart. My heart was not ready to commit to a dog again, especially a puppy. My bank account was telling me to stay on a path of saving and being responsible. I knew all the reasons why I didn’t want to have a dog, and then, like superheroes, my sister and brother-in-law arrived.
They saw the looks on my boys’ faces, heard my fears, and knew it was time. In that moment, God made me a dog mama again. I was not ready, but my kids were. As I paid for our new family member, I asked the woman at the animal shelter about the return policy, knowing full well I could not return him.
We went back to puppy-proofing our home, setting up vet visits, housebreaking him, and learning basic dog training. A few months have passed since we brought Dragon home. The dog fur is a staple on the floor and furniture, he watches everyone around him, hates it when we are gone, and is attached to us when we are home. He is an affectionate, attention-seeking, clingy puppy and loves his cuddles.
Dragon comforts us day and night, bringing an unexpected joy and playfulness that had been forgotten with having a dog. My boys wake up to puppy kisses, a great way for a child to wake up. They have learned responsibility as they help me with feeding him, walking him, and cleaning up when he makes a mess inside or outside the house.
The puppy stage is filled with naughty, angry, patience-testing behavior, but underneath is a loveable family member who is happy to be rescued from an animal shelter. My kids and I enjoy the companionship of a playful dog who wants our attention and is happy to have found his forever home—even if he can be a mischievous rascal! Training a dog is a process that requires a lot of time, patience, and energy.
I look at the pictures of our first dog and wonder if she sent us Dragon. I often think about how she would interact with him and what she would think about him. We are learning together, in the good moments and challenging moments, about raising a puppy. God made us a dog family again.
by Connie Cumming 
by Jenny Albers 
by Rachel Weidner 
