The Little One Sends a Christmas Card

The Little Cute One sent a Christmas card to her old mommy and daddy, the young couple in Phoenix that I adopted her from.

First photo of the Little Cute One, twenty minutes after adopting her. We went shopping for doggie supplies.

Perhaps this is a good time to repeat some encouragement for other travelers who are having trouble adopting a dog.

I found her on Craigslist>Community>Pets. It helps to stay flexible. Perhaps the dog is a few years older than you want. Maybe you don't like the color. You can't really see the dog's behavior in a still-photograph. Don't be too suspicious of somebody else's dog as "used equipment." There are plenty of sensible reasons why somebody has to give up their dog. The younger generation has been priced out of home ownership; they live in rented apartments. The landlord or new landlord doesn't like dogs. The young person's situation changes for various reasons, and a dog doesn't necessarily fit in with the change.

If their ad says 'rehoming fee', that could well be a way to screen out riff-raff. I was prepared to pay something, but they decided not to charge anything. They were relieved to find an experienced dog owner who they thought would be a good owner. It was probably photographs of my earlier dogs and their lifestyle (in my email to the old owners) that sold me to the old owners.

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Now let's talk about how crazy the situation is. Sometimes you hear anecdotes how a puppy costs thousands of dollars these days. Well, why not. The last few years we have experienced the "everything bubble." I wouldn't be surprised if some financial organization offers loans for dog purchases.

Think of how certain breeds become 'cool' and trendy. In Phoenix, huskies are 'hot' in more ways than one. Nationally doodles are the big name. My little girl is a cockapoo with a pure poodle coat. Cockapoos were the first doodles actually, but the name is ugly or at least funny-sounding. Therefore cockapoos are not trendy.

I just don't understand the complete lack of common sense shown by most prospective dog owners: they buy an image, a hairdo, a color. Nor do I understand why miniature doodles haven't been developed as a separate breed, been recognized by the AKC, and become the world's favorite breed. (I am thinking of doodles from miniature poodles and labradors or golden retrievers.)