I Didn't Know I Needed A Dog

Adam and I had talked on and off about getting a dog for the last year.  At first we wanted to wait until we had kids so they could be part of the dog-finding process.  Once we figured out we were reproductively challenged, we decided to bite the bullet.

We thought we wanted a hypoallergenic puppy that didn't shed.  So I started scouring PetFinder everyday, looking for the perfect puppy.  We found some possibilities and inquired with the various shelters about adopting.  It turned out to be quite a process for some of the organizations.  One organization wanted to do a virtual home tour after asking 3 references to fill out page-long recommendations.  We just wanted to give a dog in need a home, not adopt a kid!  

Another organization informed me after calling and emailing several times without any response that the puppy I was interested in was adopted by a nice family with kids to play with.  Ouch, thanks, Lady.  I guess you didn't read the part on the application about us wanting to adopt a puppy because we were having trouble getting pregnant.  

Eventually I broadened the search to include "young" dogs, in addition to puppies.  One result was a 2 year old Shih Tzu mix.  Adam approved and I filled out an application.  I was expecting to have to jump through more hoops, but the gal at the organization surprised me by emailing me back right away.  She said we were welcome to come see her and if we liked her we could adopt her.  

So, giddy as a kid on Christmas Eve, we drove two hours away to meet her.  As soon as we walked in the door, she went right up to Adam and gave him a big ol' smooch.  Adam claims she must have known he would be the hard sell.  I'm pretty sure Adam knew we were coming home with that dog before we even left our house.  

Sure enough, we brought her home with us.  She seemed to like the name her foster parents gave her, so the name Jazzy stuck.  Our vet thinks she's more in the 4-6 year old range and she sheds like crazy.  She's not the puppy we set out to find, but I couldn't imagine her not being a part of our life.  She's perfect.  She's my baby.  I had been hoping and hoping for a baby and I ended up with one.  Now I will have to be more specific and hope for a human baby.