When the Checklist Fails: Embracing Serendipity in Puppy Adoption
It’s Puppy Love
“Puppy love” means something entirely different when it’s in reference to a real dog— it starts with the “what have I done” phase of having a new four-legged family member and soon becomes a trust and companionship unlike any other. Our first puppy love was an 8-week-old white pittie mix with a cow-spotted belly, resting sad face, and a bellowing bark. Even though she wasn’t the type of pup we expected to fall for, Joann (affectionately called “Jojo,” “Joji berry,” and “Baby Beluga,”) was the sweetest gal around town. Her clumsy trot across the living room, willingness to be patient for food, and kindness towards her even-littler sister captured our hearts time and time again. While Jojo seemed like a great fit for us, the timing to adopt a pup didn’t line up, and we had to pass on what our hearts truly wanted and lead with our heads.
Is It Time?
When we finally felt like it was the “right time” (hint: there will never be a perfect time), I used what I had learned during my volunteer days to create a checklist for what we should look for in a puppy: 4-5 months old minimum, food-motivated, sleeps through the night, house and crate-trained, snuggly— everything I thought we needed in our dog. And once we saw a pup who checked every box show up on the Muddy Paws adoptions page a few weeks later, we were ECSTATIC to snag an adoptions meeting. A crate was procured, snacks and toys were purchased, blankets were set up— we were 100% ready to leave a Saturday PetSmart adoption event with a bundle of joy in tow. We showed up at the adoption event, full of excitement and nervous energy; after checking in, our potential pup came prancing out of the adoptions van and when I FINALLY saw her… I felt nothing.
With all the research and preparation I had done to get us to this moment, I realized that what I hadn’t (and couldn’t) have prepared for was the lack of connection I felt. And, in a short adoption meeting, I wondered how much grace to give if I didn’t feel that “spark.” After 30 more minutes of waffling on the choice, we made the hard decision not to adopt- if we both weren’t sold on the fit, we couldn’t choose to move forward... and were pretty devastated by this decision. Saying “no” to an amazing, beautiful, loving pup was not at all something we had planned on— I didn’t expect to feel loss when it was my choice not to move forward. I didn’t expect my partner to fall in love with this dog in under an hour, and most of all, I wasn’t sure we would ever find a pup that made me feel like they were meant to be ours. It seems silly— it’s just a puppy, right? But there was nothing that could have readied me for that choice and the start of a very heavy-hearted day.
When you Know, you Know
After a few weeks of reconsidering getting a dog entirely and quickly moving past any adoptable dog posts we saw on social media, we slowly worked up the courage to start looking for a furry family member again. And this time, I wasn’t holding onto the criteria I had previously set— we were going to find a pup based on what felt right, regardless of whether or not they checked all the boxes. And lo and behold, the “perfect” pup was on a transport ~3 weeks after we said no to our first potential pup. Her name was Foxy, she was ~3 months old, had ears that were (and still are) WAY too big for her little body, and looked like she might totally destroy our lives… and we ended up lucky enough to foster her. The moment I saw Foxy on transport day, I felt what I had been looking for in that first adoption meeting— I didn’t know anything about her, but my heart felt so full as I carried her home in my arms. After a few days of the standard cuddle-nap-play-pee loop as she settled in, we learned that she didn’t match our initial hopes of a house-trained, crate-trained, leash-trained dog. What she DID have was a set of razor-sharp puppy teeth, a sassy personality, and the best spotted snout around town. After a week of having Foxy at home with us, we decided to keep her— our foster to forever pup.
We have now had Foxy, renamed Mocha, for almost 2 months and I have never regretted the choice to adopt this firecracker. It’s hard to explain the amount of joy that we get from this huge ball of energy in a fuzzy little body, and the fulfillment of finally adding 4 new paws to your family. While the emotional experience of saying no to a different pup had shaken us more than I had expected, I’m grateful that it led us to our favorite girl. We couldn’t picture our home without Mocha’s sweet face and are lucky to now be an official part of the Muddy Paws Pack!
