Why Would You Want a Puppy, When You Could Have This Great Dog?

On our recent shelter tour, a director asked me, “Who would want to adopt a puppy?” (it was a rhetorical question so it wasn’t necessary, but I said, “Not me!”)

She went on to explain why she hustles puppies out the door to rescues, and only adopts out adult dogs.

Our little foster cottage is mostly quiet these days. That is unless Marley spots a squirrel daring to cross our property. Krimpet went home with an adopter after her spay surgery on Monday.

Yes, Marley is still here. There just aren’t many adopters ready to take a chance on an 8-year-old dog. Which is a shame because they are missing out on one really funny, resilient, devoted, smart girl.

Here’s why I think someone should consider taking a chance on Marley:

1. Marley is a known quantity. When you adopt a puppy or even a young dog less than two years old, that animal is not finished growing up and developing its personality. Think about people you know – how different are they at 35 than they were at 7 or 16 or even 25?

I’ve watched my own children change as they take on ‘real life’, sometimes struggling, often blossoming, but definitely becoming very different than the kids they were. Just this week, my youngest was telling me how his Meyers-Briggs assessment had changed dramatically from when he was in high school.

When you bring home a puppy or young dog, you are definitely gambling. Even if you do all the good work to raise a good dog, it does not always work out that way. Take it from someone who is still recovering from the devastation of raising an adorable puppy who grew into a dangerous dog.

• Marley is already trained. She is solidly housebroken – not a single accident, even when left along 12 hours or more. We’ve taken her to stores, wineries, other houses, even the library, and never once has she had an accident.

She is solidly crate-trained, going right in when I point to her crate. She knows many commands. She does get overly excited on a leash, but it’s nothing that a front-leading harness can’t fix.

• Marley’s personality is established. I can more or less predict her reactions to people, animals (especially squirrels), dinner, toys, car rides, or the long hours she has to spend alone.

People: She loves everyone she meets unabashedly, particularly men. Children make her a little nervous, but she can handle them in small doses (she does not do well living with them, it stresses her out and she develops skin issues). She will whine and pull toward new people when we are out and about, always curious, tail-waggingly happy to see everyone.

Animals: She gets overly excited at the site of other dogs. Some dogs are fine with that and some react at her. She was a great bunk mate with one of our foster dogs, but Krimpet did not appreciate her excitability and they had words. I think she’d be happiest as an only dog, not because she can’t deal with other dogs, but because she LOVES people so much and after being let down by her original family (after seven years), she deserves to be spoiled and loved and the center of someone’s life. Squirrels are a no-go. No home with squirrels in it. The jury is still out on cats. Apparently, she has lived with one, but I don’t have any way to test her feelings about them now. My best guess she would respect a cat who demanded that respect and chase a cat that didn’t.

Dinner: She does not like fancy food. I’ve been giving her Salmon oil, which has really helped heal her coat from the issues she had with her last adopter, but she doesn’t love it. I have to hide it with crumbled treats. She’d prefer just straight-ahead kibble. She loves ALL treats unconditionally (even salmon flavored).

Toys: She is relatively neutral on toys. If I toss her a tug rope or a stuffed toy, she might fling it around for a bit, but eventually, she’ll abandon it. While it looks like she enjoys it, somehow it feels like she’s doing that for my benefit.

Car rides: She loves them and settles right down to await the adventure. I wish I could find a trucker who wants company—that would probably be the perfect adopter.

Long hours alone: She is stoic. There is no whining or pinning. No destruction of her bed (as previous foster have done). No barking to be let out. That said, she is overjoyed at my presence in the room, watching me with complete devotion. If I sit too long at the laptop, she’ll come over and put her head on my lap, wanting a cuddle (and she is a first-rate cuddler).

• Marley will be constantly devoted to you. (just like the song) Marley has an enormous capacity to love. She shows that in the way that she responds to every person she meets. She leans in and often whimpers in happiness. She so despartely wants to love and be loved.

Which is why it is such a shame that she is alone more hours than not. She lives in my office, so for the hours during the week that I am working, she has company (distracted company, but company, and at least she’s not sharing me with seven puppies anymore).

The rest of the time, she’s on her own. Sure, she has her own playyard and futon, plenty of fresh water, the best snacks, but without a person, all that doesn’t mean a lot to her. She spends most of the time I’m not in the cottage, perched on the futon beside the door, head cocked, listening for my footsteps. (We have a puppy cam, so I know this.)

If you bring this dog home, you will have an instant best friend, complete devotee, and, imho, plenty of entertainment.

• Marley is a low-maintenance dog. Having learned to live with the scraps of affection she gets, she doesn’t demand more. (She deserves more, but doesn’t insist on it.) Nick calls her a blue-collar dog because she’s simple—plain food, not particular about treats, no real toys, sturdy, with a great constitution (I don’t think I’ve ever written that about a dog). Her nails can get a little long because I haven’t been walking her enough lately and she’s not a fan of having them clipped, but other than that, she’s simple, healthy, low-maintenance.

And living with three high-maintenance dogs, there’s a lot to be said for low-maintenance.

My friend Nancy, who travels with me on shelter tours, spent a little time with Marley recently and got some great shots:

If you or someone you know, is interested in meeting this darling dog, give me a shout. She’s available for adoption through the Humane Society of Shenandoah County. Her adoption fee is partially sponsored.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist.

Many of the pictures on my blog are taken by photographer Nancy Slattery. If you’d like to connect with Nancy to take gorgeous pictures of your pup (or your family), contact: nancyslat@gmail.com.