Finding my next dog: when Plan B becomes Plan A (again)

Time to start a new thread about my dog search – especially as it seems to have taken on “it takes a village” proportions. In this case the “village” is the Forum - and I'm so grateful to you all!

Here’s my story so far. Warning: this gets all kinds of rambly. And long. Very, very long.

For 13 years, I had a wonderful four-legged best friend and service dog, Brogan. About six months after he passed away at Christmas 2015, I started researching different breeds with the idea of finding my next buddy who I will also train as a SD. I joined the Forum last summer when it looked more and more likely that my next dog would be a Labrador.

Lots of dog shows and breeder visits finally gave way to me deciding that Labs were the best choice. However, I was still torn by my love of Rottweilers, who have been my companions for nearly 20 years. Old loves die hard, but due to growing BSL (breed specific legislation), I felt I had to make a change. Still, I did the “Rottie or Lab” flip flop for months and didn’t move forward in my search.

Then in December I met a Lab/Rottie cross and fell in insta-love. Unfortunately he already had a happy home and the law frowns on dognapping. My German friends thought the solution was simple: find some backyard breeder on eBay and buy a Lab/Rottie cross online! Yay!

Except…that would be a “nay” from me. Which led me to post my rant here on this thread. Which led to lots of good ideas from the Forum on how/where to find a rescue dog. A new Plan A was born: find a rescue.

So that’s the backstory - here’s what’s been going on the past few weeks.

I’ve seen lots of dogs, visited shelters, had frenzied phone calls, Skype conversations and…gasp… have even been using Facebook (although @snowbunny is right…I’m still rubbish at it).

Two weeks ago I met Django (aka Larry). His lovely foster mama suggested I take him home with me for a week to see how we rubbed along. This week he was with me and he is a really fabulous dog.

I’m trying to keep this short (I know, “Emily – short? Ha, ha!”), so I’ll just say that for reasons that have nothing to do with his sterling temperament and were not really due to his breed either, I had to make the difficult decision that Django was not “the one”. I’ll post more about him separately. Suffice it to say that he’s safe and happy in a good foster home and I’ve not seen the last of him.

The week with Django was an epiphany of sorts. Django is probably a mix of Rottie and GSD. Certainly when on the street with him, people pegged him as a Rottie cross. I don’t want to turn this into a rant against BSL or public mistreatment of dogs commonly associated with BSL and their humans. Let’s just say that in the past year of walking friends’ chihuahuas, poms and cocker spaniels, I’ve sort of lost the thick skin you need to deal with to accompany a “dangerous” breed dog down the street.

It also brought back my constant fear of having Brogan taken from me or in other ways harmed by BSL. To give you the most stark example, when I flew Brogan from the US to Paris, the United Airlines desk agent took one look at Brogan (whose documentation for the flight was flawless), and said, “You know that they’ll put that dog down as soon as you land in France, right?”.

Can you imagine being told that? And while he was a jerk of the first water to put it so bluntly, in fact he was right. It is the law that a dog arriving at CDG airport can indeed be euthanized upon arrival simply for being the wrong breed.

So Django’s reception this past week, while not surprising at all, was an epiphany. All my waffling about “Lab or Rottie, Lab or Rottie” just got a heck of a lot clearer. My first priority is to keep my dog safe. Can I really do that if laws are passed which can take my dog away from me based on the color of his fur or the size of his head? It’s not fair…in fact it *sausage* stinks, but that’s the world we live in. I need to make my decisions based on how things are, not how I believe they should be.

My second epiphany brings me to the title (yeah, remember that title you read 30 minutes ago when this post started?), "Plan B becomes Plan A (again)"

Here’s the deal: I think rescue is wonderful. I was a foster mama for years and fostered 18 dogs. All of my dogs except one were rescues.

However after nearly two months now of hot and heavy searching for a rescue, I’ve yet to see a dog who I thought would be a good SD candidate. This is not just down to temperament as there are plenty of wonderful rescue dogs out there. It’s the whole package: correct height/weight, sound hips and elbows, age, etc. Plus there are my own limitations as a trainer/partner to consider. All told, we’re talking needle in a haystack the size of Boise.

So, yeah…that second epiphany? Getting a puppy from a responsible breeder just became Plan A again. Plan B is still there – goodness knows I’m now hooked in to every rescue organization in a three-country radius.

However, I’ve got to be honest… at this moment and after all my experiences over the past year, right now I’m really just wanting a healthy Lab pup. A little crocopup guy who I can love, care for, socialize, train and work with consistently and positively from day one.

I know it’s a lot of work. I know I’ll probably get the puppy blues something fierce and think “Why, why whyyyyyy????” at many points along the road. However, I also think it is my best chance of becoming part of a successful SD team again – going through school, passing our certifications and continuing on for hopefully many years of adventures.

So that’s the full scoop… time for me to hit the interwebs again and start up my hunt for a breeder in earnest. I’ve kept everyone’s tips sent me over the past few months, but all other advice, encouragement - or the key to the your secret puppy stash - are quite welcome. I’ll be focusing on Germany and the UK/Ireland and show or mixed show/field lines.

Let the puppy hunt begin…again!

 

You've just brought a tear to my eye.

What a huge step you have just made xx

Now I'm excited for you!

 

Emily you're going to be the best puppy mum!

I'm so excited for you to join us Tasmanian devil owners!

Have you got any male/female preference? Or a particular colour?

 

Oh good luck! I've been following your search and hoping that you find the perfect dog.

I can't help on the perfect lab pup, but you actually came to my mind yesterday as I was looking up information about hovawarts (http://www.hovawart.org.uk) I know you've decided that you want a lab, so this might be an unnecessary and unwanted suggestion, but it occurred to me that hovawarts may combine some of the aspects that you like about rottweilers (certainly the colouring) with the working temperament and therapy dog potential of a lab - and without any breed-specific legislation fears. They are a German breed so maybe you can find one more easily in Germany/Europe than here. And you would be helping to preserve the breed so there's a strong argument for a breeder pup!

That might be a totally crazy suggestion but since you've posted this update I thought it might be worth making. Good luck in your search, I hope you find a wonderful dog very soon.

 

Pongo says he'd love to be your SD and do you have biscuits?

 

I'm glad that you've had that "a-ha" moment - now, puppies! Can't wait to hear about the next part of your journey.

 

Ah, glad to hear you've had some clarity. I can't begin to imagine the fear at being told your beloved dog - friend, confidante, partner in crime - could be PTS simply for being born the wrong breed.
I wouldn't worry too much about the puppy blues, I don't think for a minute you'll suffer. OK, you might have a "wow, this is tougher than I thought" moment or two, but I'm pretty sure that's it. You're better prepared than 99% of new Lab puppy owners, having read all the horror stories on here!

 

These lightbulb moments are just wonderful , when the fog lifts and you suddenly know which path to take , setting along that path with determination , I wish you much luck and await news !

 

Lovely to see you have a plan of action, I love a plan. I wish you luck in your search, I know that your puppy is just around the corner who has lots of forum Auntie's just waiting xx

 

Thanks so much, Mags.

My brain kept circling around to our "fish and chips" talk, your words really made a big impact on me. I knew them in my head then, but now I think I've got them lined up in head AND heart.

 

Misery loves company?

Definitely male - that's down to size and also I just love my big puppy boys. Right now I'm thinking choccie, but I do love all the colors so really I'd be happy with any of them. Not sure if I could handle yellow, however, as the last 20 years of my life have been geared to black and tan. It may be too much of a shock to add light colors to my wardrobe after all this time.

 

Oh what a journey it has been for you! Really excited for you.

I do know someone who breeds labs, and she lets a few go each litter free as assistance dogs The best thing is a lot are chocolate!

 

Oh, Pongo, I ALWAYS have biscuits! Come on down to Spain!

 

I do appreciate the suggestion, but Hovawarts were already on my summer research list last summer and I decided Labs were a better fit for me. Several reasons, including that fact that I don't do well with a lot of grooming and long hair.

Ironically, the colouring, which of course I love, is the biggest issue. It's a bit like a Beauceron (which I also gave an in-depth look) - these are dogs that are relatively rare, so most people when they see them think they are Rottie mixes, so you get the guff that goes with that. It's a bit complicated, but they could even be subject to BSL because BSL is based on what the dog looks like - if it looks like a mix of a restricted breed, it's a restricted breed according to the law. I suppose you could carry around your breed papers to stave of any serious legal issues, but the street harassment would be the same.

But it's a good suggestion as they are indeed gorgeous and would probably make great SDs!

 

Definitely lightbulb moment and clarity all rolled into one. Rotties will always be my first love, but instead of feeling like I was giving something up by considering a Lab over a Rottie, now I feel excited for a new journey. I think I had to go down the road of the past few months to get here - I just wasn't ready last summer or last fall. Heck, not even three weeks ago. But this past week something just clicked, and I'm glad it did.

Mmm...thanks for the vote of confidence? I think it's one thing to read about it, another to deal with those little teeth sinking into me on a daily basis. I had an awfully easy time of it with Brogan and Duncan, I guess my time has come!

One thing I do know is that I need to work on myself at the same time that I'm finding my breeder and waiting for my puppy. I've gained a boatload of weight in the past year, so mission one is finding a breeder and simultaneous mission number two is getting in shape so I have enough energy to deal with a puppy. I do know Lab energy is MUCH different from a Rottie, so I need to be prepared to step up my game.

I actually think that is a good thing, though. A more active dog will force me to get out there and be more active, too. I've gotten too old and stodgy lately, I need to be shaken up a bit.

 

How exciting that you have made some progress towards deciding what you want. I love Rotties too so do know why it's been a difficult decision. I look forward to hearing about your search x

 

Thank you! I hope so. Hopefully considering both Germany and the UK will give me lots of good choices. I had been thinking, "No, that's just crazy to get a dog from the UK" but having seen @snowbunny 's adventures...well, it still does seem a bit crazy, but do-able. I'd rather skip the "having to move because of my sausage neighbour" and "car breaking down with all the dogs and stuff inside" part, though.

 

OK, that teaser deserves a private IM with the name of your contact. Pretty pleeeeease?

 

If anyone can do it (well!) then we are sure you can Emily.
Researched to the hilt.
Good luck x

 

Of course, will be tomorrow on my iPad right now, unless I can work it out. I think she has a Facebook page so will see if I can hunt it out for you