Introducing Dexter

Over two months of research, soul-searching and family discussion came to a head over the weekend when we finally adopted a puppy. We'd come close on a couple occasions, but for one reason or another, it fell through. We learned that you had to act quickly, it’s a hot puppy market out there.

This time we contacted the breeder right after the posting went up on Kijiji. I was surprised when she phoned us back that evening asking us to select based on pictures, which we did. A number of times before this, breeders had just ignored our calls, or the pups were all claimed. We did get a scare when I called to finalize a time for pickup and get directions to her place in Drumheller. I couldn't get through to her phone number after numerous messages. Thankfully she called back, but she did say that she turned off her phone because it was ringing off the hook with inquiries into her puppies. But we did set a time, and I got my directions.

When we got there, we were invited into her house for an introduction to our selection "Artie", the litter for this breed were given "A" names, other breeds got "B" names, etc. On the drive down, we were talking about the horror stories we had seen on our web research about puppy mills, people looking to make a quick buck without caring at all about the dogs. However, when we got there, we got a good vibe. The lady loved dogs, she just did breeding on the side (still talking dogs, now).

She gave us the run-down on recommended care for "Artie". I tried valiantly to concentrate, but was distracted by my two boys and their immediate bond with the pup they had chosen. When she said to feed him one cup of puppy kibble with one tablespoon of moist puppy meal three times a day, I responded back, "So we feed him the dry kibble three times a week?" She seemed concerned. "Actually, three times a DAY" she repeated. She's probably wondering right now if poor Artie is still alive.

So we did the deal. Money changed hands. $600 was the fee. As a side note, Petland's puppy selections ranged from a low of $1200 to $1600. We took the pup and placed him in a quilted basket and made off with him back to Calgary. We did leave something behind in Drumheller, his name. It was unanimous, "Artie" was out, "Dexter" was in.

Dexter had a great time exploring his new home, he even initiated it with a good ol' plopper right on the kitchen floor. His first night was not so good. He missed his mom, and his littermates, so he whined and cried all night long. The adults only got about a couple hours sleep that night. The next night, which was last night, was considerably better, but he just toned it down to a whimper. There was no panic cries like the night before. So it shouldn't be too much longer till he can shut his yapper through the night.

Any regrets? Nope. We knew there would be some up-front pain, and that he'd take some patience, so we were prepared. He's just very lucky he has that ultra-cute puppy face. Any misdeed he does, he just flashes the ol' puppy-dog eyes at you, its no contest.

So there you have it. We now have "The Family Dog". We are officially the typical North American family.