Friday, March 6, 2009

Puppy Love

"They call it puppy love
Oh, I guess they'll never know
How a young heart really feels
And that's why I love her so
And they call it puppy love . . ."

I think Paul Anka had something else in mind when he sang this song, but meet the newest member of our household . . .


Sophie !!


Miss Sophie arrived at our home last Friday and has captured the hearts of everyone in the family, including all of the grandchildren who have stopped in to meet her.


I have been wanting a dog for some time, especially since Youngest Daughter plans to take Coconut with her when she eventually moves out. I had planned to find a dog one day at the Humane Society where Oldest Granddaughter (above) and I volunteer a few times a month. But every time I would find a dog that seemed right for me, it had already been adopted. Last week through a friend of my daughter-in-law's, I found out about a family who wanted to give up their puppy because they simply didn't have the time or energy to take care of her. I went to see her, and it was love at first sight. She came home with me last Friday.


Despite some initial sibling rivalry, Coconut has accepted his new "sister" (or is it "aunt"? If Sophie is MY dog, and Coco is my granddog, then . . . never mind, this is too confusing.) When Coconut came to our house as a puppy, our big dog Roco was still alive, and Older Daughter's pug Odie was here as well. Coconut has been an "only child" for a year and a half now, but occasional canine visitors have ensured that he is a friendly, sociable dog. He has even been kind enough, albeit reluctantly, to share his toys with Sophie. (Please don't tell Daughter I used this picture--she would be appalled. But it was the only photo I could get of Sophie and Coconut together, even if it is a little blurry.)


Toby, on the other hand, was not so sure about this new arrival. Sophie has made very polite overtures, but Toby has remained wary of her. In the last few days, he's realized that his favorite perch on top of the couch or in a chair is a safe place from which to inspect this energetic pup and to let her know who's really the boss in this household.



Sophie is a Golden Retriever, which, according to my research, is a highly intelligent breed and one that is very good with children. That was number 1 on my list of dog characteristics--I wanted a dog I would feel safe with around the grandchildren. Number 2 was that she had to have brown eyes, because of my dear late Roco who transformed me from a cat person to a dog and cat person:)

When I met Sophie, her previous owner told me she was partially housebroken and crate-trained. Hmmm, well her new surroundings may have caused her to revert to old habits. We're working on both of them . . . I did expect that as a puppy, she would be a chewer and be a little destructive. Mary recently did a post about redecorating her bedroom and needing to replace her dog-worn bedding. Well, Mary, do you remember when Bella and Chloe were puppies??

Despite having a whole basket of toys, Sophie finds newspapers and bath net scrubbers much more fun to play with. My vacuum sweeper is getting quite a workout:) We needed to replace all the carpeting in the house anyway, especially that ugly green family room carpeting in the first photo and the crazy chartreuse in the office, both of which I've wanted to tear out since we moved here. Sophie is helping me convince my husband of this by gnawing at any loose threads and edges, but it would probably be a smart idea to wait a few months before spending the money.



Aw, gee, with a face like this, how can you get mad at her for a few spots or holes in the carpet??


Happiness is a warm puppy.--Charles M. Schulz

47 comments:

  1. Rose ... I am so happy for you girl ! Sophie (BTW my Sophie is more than pleased to share her name albeit with a soul of a doggy nature ? LOL) She looks wonderful and kind (you can see she will be gentle !) .. adopting from the Humane Society is such a loving act .. we have been there with our beautiful felines .. it takes a while for that settle in and behave mode .. but you know that !
    Congratulations on becoming a mom again girl !!
    PS .. I know ... rather shocking at our age but hey, our furry souls don't mind a bit right ? LOL

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  2. Joy, I'm glad your Sophie doesn't mind sharing her name--it's a name for beautiful ladies, isn't it?:) I know our Sophie will settle in, in time; if she hasn't figured out all the proper behavior yet, I do know she's happy here.

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  3. Aw, she's precious Rose. Goldens are great with kids.

    Congratulations on the new addition to the family, and good luck with the house training! How helpful of Sophie to convince your husband to replace the carpeting!

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  4. Oh, she's such a cutie!!! I love puppies, I want a puppy, I need a puppy, I'm gonna get me one!!!!

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  5. Sophie is a beauty, Rose ~ so lucky to have found a wonderful home and ... you, to love her :)

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  6. What a sweet face, it is hard to get mad or stay mad at a puppy. She'll learn over time what is acceptable to chew on & what isn't. ;) We crate trained our beagle Misty when we got her as a puppy 10 1/2 years ago. She would nibble on anything within reach including my coffee table legs, lol. But over the years she has become a very well behaved member of the family. Congrats on the new addition to your family. May she bring you many years of joy & companionship.

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  7. She's awfully sweet. My favorite breed of dogs too-can you tell? I fostered a litter of goldens last spring, what job! No matter how great they are as dogs, puppies are puppies. She will grow out of her issues. Having the other dogs sure helps a lot. You just can't help but fall in love with goldens.

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  8. Sophie is beautiful! Congratulations on your newest family member.

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  9. Hello, I stopped by having discovered you over at Marnie's Lilac and Roses blog. Miss Sophie looks like the perfect match for you and your family. She is so adorable and I'm sure will provide much entertainment as she settles into her new home. I look forward to seeing more about her on your blog. Hope Toby can feel more relaxed around her as time goes by. I love all animals but I live with 3 cats. We meet so many Golden's when we take walks on the beach. They are so friendly and loveable and the puppies are irresistible. (I love drawing their sweet faces!)
    Hope you can stop by for a visit, we're at Furry and Feathered Friends.
    best wishes,
    Nan and the Maine cats

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  10. Aw, she's gorgeous!! With all that puppy fluff! I love her. What a shame you don't live nearby: we could walk George and Sophie together!

    George says he could have told you that Golden Retrievers are intelligent. (When I raised my eyebrows at that he said, 'What? I am highly intelligent.' I didn't like to argue.)

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  11. What a cute puppy. Goldens are great dogs you made a great choice.

    My best friend had two goldens that-- well, how should I put this--they were just outright thieves. They visited the neighboring farms and stole things. Clothes off the lines, shoes left on the back porch, kids toys. Everybody in Frankewing, TN knew to come to Renee's if they were missing something. The dogs kept their stash in back by the woodpile.
    Marnie

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  12. Oh, gosh, she's so cute! You have quite menagerie there, Rose. I don't know how you keep up with it! Good thing they all have some space to run!

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  13. She's beauitiful! How wonderful for you. I know you will enjoy her-especially with spring and summer coming. Let's hope she is not a digger! :}

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  14. Rose, How quickly you and Sophie became simpatico! She knew you wanted new carpeting and is helping you out! She is a smart puppy and pretty, too! Since you are a retired teacher you know how to be consistent...my guess is that she will be trained post haste! Rose, you are lucky to have found her and the grands are going to love her so much~ gail

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  15. Oh Rose what a wonderful addition to your family. Sophie is just the cutest doggie. I have never met a golden that I didn't like. They all seem to live up to the hype. I hope the potty training is taken care of quickly. That is always what I think of when I think I might want another puppy. Then I tell myself no way. Not until next time anyway. tee hee...

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  16. Garden Girl, Thanks, and yes, she's doing her best to persuade my husband:)

    Flydragon, They're irresistible, for sure! Just don't leave anything out that you don't want torn up:)

    Joey, Thanks; I feel very lucky to have found her.

    Racquel, The crate training isn't going so well...too many sympathetic people to let her out when she whimpers:) I keep trying...

    Tina, I know that she won't stay a puppy forever, and just like kids, she needs lots of attention right now. But I'm more than willing to do it!

    Deb, Thank you; she's fitting right in here.

    Nan, Toby has learned to tolerate her, much as he does with Coconut. The other cats--who live outside most of the time--are still putting on inhospitable airs:) Sophie is more than willing to show her submissive side to them, though. Thanks for visiting, and I'll drop by later this evening.

    Liz, I knew George would like Sophie! He is partially responsible for my picking her out:) A walk would be wonderful, but just so George doesn't teach her his escape tricks:)

    Marnie, That is so funny:) Right now Sophie hasn't stolen anything, but of course she's on a leash so far whenever she's outside. I'm hoping I can eventually trust her to go without the leash without running off our property.

    Joyce, A menagerie is right! Husband wasn't too thrilled about me getting a puppy, but who does he pet first when he gets home from work?:)

    Beckie, She's been very curious about the garden--I will have to be very firm about rules there. She loves to pick up sticks outside...I wonder if I can teach her to pile them all up neatly in back:)

    Gail, Yes, Sophie has been very helpful...she's already managed to train Hubby not to leave the newspaper on the floor:) I've already picked up a flier on local obedience training classes--I'll be going back to "school" very soon.

    Lisa, I debated about getting an older dog from the shelter, but a puppy is just so irresistible. And it's worth all the trouble just to see the grandkids around her. Even the 20-month-old loves her, and Sophie's so sweet around him.

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  17. Oh....... she's a lovely pup.
    Hope she settles in without too much ado!
    Sounds intelligent. Should get her house trained soon. I'm sure she will cotton on!

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  18. Dear Rose....what a beautiful soft looking puppy Sophie is. I have a one friend with three and another friend with two goldies.....they are wonderful pets and I have never heard of a problem with children. Just watch, she will grow to be a wonderful and charming companion. They are gentle by nature.
    I read a blog called Mountain Musings, you can find it on my side bar.....she has two goldies and posts about them frequently....they are so well behaved....do pop over, I am sure she will be pleased to give you any advise.......if you should need it......

    Have a fun weekend.......I shall enjoy watching Sophie grow......

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  19. How wonderful, a new puppy! I hope you will have many happy years together. Your comment about how Sophie goes for the bath scrubbers reminded me of my late, lamented mutt, Coco. She was the best behaved dog in the world, never chewing up anything, but she did have a weakeness for used washcloths. She'd sneak into the bathroom and drag off the tub one that had been left their to dry. Then she'd bring it into the family room. We're not sure why.

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  20. I've been waiting for this post!!!

    She's beautiful! (so is your daughter!)

    My mum has a retriever but she is much paler in colour. Yours looks adorable, but also full of mischief!Looking forwards to more posts as she grows and changes!

    S x

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  21. Rose, thanks so much for visiting and I have left a post on your Tasha Tudor post of March 1st, March Garden Muse Day. By the way, Tarzan is very similar to Brody!
    I've added you to my list of wonderful blogs...
    Nan and the Maine cats

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  22. Awww - what a beautiful dog! She is just perfect! I love golden retrievers - they are so gentle and loveable.
    I am glad she came to live with you.
    Hugs

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  23. I love her from afar, Rose;) My children love her; Can we dog-sit ocassionally!! She's adorable. I'm glad you have her to brighten up your life! Dogs bring such joy, and with a cat, there's never a dull moment! We have one of each, and one never knows what the other will do to get it's goat, so to speak! They lay down near each other, only to suddenly have the dog chase the cat through the house! Sometimes, the cat will instigate a chase by meowing until the dog pays attention. Such fun!

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  24. Rose, She's so cute! My son had a pup who was a chewer and we found Kong toys were pretty good distractions, and they're supposed to be good for their teeth, too. Can't wait to see pictures of her popping up alongside Toby now and then. Congratulations on your new arrival--I'll be back in a week or so.

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  25. CONGRATULATIONS! As the owner of two Golden Retrievers, I can assure you they are indeed wonderful dogs. I hope your Sophie gives you as much pleasure as our Ellie and Lucy give us.

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  26. Maggie May, I know we'll go through some trials, but I'm sure eventually I'll get her trained.

    Cheryl, I will have to check out the blog you mentioned. I just picked up a flier about crate training, so I'm trying a different approach--hopefully it will work.

    MMD, Dogs all have their own personalities, don't they? Coconut (also called Coco by Daughter) has a fondness for her underwear:)

    Suburbia, I know...I wanted to get a few good pictures before I posted about her. She is such a sweetie, but there definitely is some mischief in her eyes at time:) Daughter thanks you for the compliment, even if it's not a very flattering picture:)

    Nan, Thank you, and what an interesting connection to Tasha Tudor!

    Wendy, I've been wanting another dog for a long time. I think she's the soulmate I've been looking for:)

    Jan, We have had some cat and dogs chases through the house already:) I'd certainly let you pet-sit if you lived closer!

    Cosmo, I'll check out the Kong toys. Actually she's been better about sticking to her toys the last couple days. Enjoy your trip!

    NCMountainwoman, I will have to visit and see those retrievers of yours!

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  27. LOL--My first thought about Sophie (who is very sweet and cute) was "What will Toby think about this?" The photo of him on the chair looking down at the doggie really answers that for me! I'm sure everyone will adjust, but, from a cat's point of view, even nice doggies are still DOGS! ;-)

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  28. What a doll! Thanks for sharing! Definitely put off replacing the carpet for a while...you'll be glad you did.

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  29. Rose I think you are right, we are living in a parallel universe how funny. Your new puppy is just precious. Goldens are one of the most friendly and layed back breeds I know. Our neighbor has has a few over the years and I love them. I did go back to your Dec. post and look at the pictures of the Mastiff, she looks just like Cabela. My daughter said they did just fine lastnight!!! Cabela just wanted to sleep beside Harley. But of course wanted to play with her too. Harley actually snapped at her a few times. I guess the size difference scares her too. Cabella will find out who is boss I guess!!! LOL With Harley at 5 lbs and Cabella at a soon to be 160 lbs it will be a challange!!

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  30. Monica, Toby is not overly fond of any dog, but since he feels superior to all of them, he copes quite well:) Glad to hear you're going to read The Guernsey LAPPS; I hope you like it!

    Julena Jo, Replacing the carpeting right now would definitely be a huge mistake. Looks like I'm stuck with the old stuff for awhile, sigh. I'm so glad you stopped by--I've visited you several times, but couldn't leave a comment. I'll try again.

    Lynn, I thought you would find this funny! So glad you checked out the photos of Bear. Odie the pug put him in his place very quickly, and Daughter says Bear is intimidated by small dogs. Hopefully, Harley will let Cabella know right away who's in charge:)

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  31. She is so perfectly lovely! Kaishon desperately wants a puppy. I think I will give in soon. Life is too short! : ). I loved reading about your newest addition.

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  32. Hi there, I came to you via Suburbia. What a beautiful, warm and inspiring blog.

    Awww, I wish I had a gorgeous dog like Sophie, what a tonic.

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  33. What a beauty you have there! I am glad that you found this new family member as she will bring you all so much joy over the years. I am happy that Coconut and Toby are being good sports with the new fur baby and hope they are all friends in time! I do believe I would wait a while on removing the old carpet as well. Wonderful pics of the fur family...

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  34. Dear Rose,

    I'm laughing out loud. You are so funny! Do you realize you have a circus of animals? It's a revolving door at your house. But, you know what? That's a sign of a genuine, true, animal lover.

    Sophie is sweet. GR's are so laid back. I knew one who would let Chloe jump over and fly under her and not blink an eye.

    Oh, I could tell some PUPPY stories - those little mischevious angels. Bella was the pee-pee problem. It took her almost a year before she stopped say, "Oops. I did it again, Mommy."

    Mary

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  35. Rose, she is adorable. I know you are going to have a great time with her!

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  36. Rose, she is adorable! Funny thing about your carpet...I have a den carpet I would like to replace but with the old 14 y/o that pukes on it and the 8 month old that pees on...why get a new rug to cry over....and yet...it IS 20 years old and needs to go....maybe in the summer.....good luck with the puppy...how fun....

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  37. Oh, Rose, congratulations on Sophie's arrival! I used to have a Golden, and there's one owned by the people who run a magazine I work with; she's the office dog. They ARE highly intelligent, and they settle down after a while, too, to make absolutely fabulous dog-friends.

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  38. She is a darling addition to your furry family!How wonderful that you opened your heart to a would be homeless dog.The only way to adopt a pet.

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  39. SO cute!! She looks like she is already a great part of the family!
    blessings,
    kari & kijsa

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  40. Hi Rose, what a sweetie! That last photo is a heart melter, even for the most hard core cat lovers. :-) You two sound made for each other and she will soon be very obedient to her loving new mistress.
    Frances

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  41. Dear Rose,
    She is so sweet looking.
    I love her name too.
    Perfect fit!
    Spring seems like a perfect time for a puppy...
    Congratulations!
    Sherry

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  42. I AM SOOOO JEALOUS!!!!!

    Sophie is beautiful!

    When I was a kid we had a dog whose mother was a golden and father was a black lab. He had a Lab's face and the golden's long hair but he was completely black. The best dog in the world (lived to be 11) until my husband and I got our yellow and chocolate labs. Both of them are gone now, too; not sure when I might get another dog.

    Youngest son talked me into a Guinea Pig. Cinnamon is a cutie- I'll probably post a picture on my blog soon.

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  43. Life, She is a sweetie, and I say give in to Kaishon, as long as you are prepared for constant clean-up:)

    Hullabaloo, Thanks so much for stopping by. I think Sophie would be a good tonic for Suburbia, too; we'd visit her if we lived closer:)

    Skeeter, Thank you. I was out of town for awhile this weekend, and apparently Sophie didn't appreciate being left home with Mr. P. You should see the carpet in my hallway:)

    Mary, We have had so many animals over the years, from turtles to bunnies. Usually they belonged to one of my kids, but somehow I always wound up taking care of them. By the time Sophie is a year old, I may not have any hallway carpet left:)

    Susie, It's hard to stay mad at anyone with such gorgeous brown eyes!

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  44. Neva, So glad you stopped by to see Sophie. I guess that just shows we are true animal lovers if we are willing to put up with our old, stained carpets:)

    Jodi, I have read so many great things about Goldens, and I met one at a dog park in Arizona that I absolutely loved. I know Sophie will settle down eventually. Puppies are so cute, just like babies; I'm willing to put up with a lot right now.

    Naturegirl, I don't think Sophie would have been homeless, but I do know she's getting more attention here than at her previous home. Puppies need lots of love and attention!

    Kari and Kijsa, Thanks for stopping by! We're all so glad Sophie's part of the family now.

    Frances, Sophie could melt anyone's heart. As for the obedience, well...we're working on it.

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  45. Sherry, Springtime is a good time to begin with a puppy. I'm hoping lots of exercise outside will hope her release some of that puppy energy.

    Laura, Welcome back! I've heard you were posting again--I'll be over to visit soon. I decided against getting a Lab because I thought I didn't have the energy to keep up with one--I'm thinking maybe Goldens have that much energy, too:) My girls used to have hamsters; you do get attached to those cute little rodents.

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  46. I agree that was very confusing. ;-) But the animals are just adorable. And I wanted to pick them up and just love the fuzz off of 'em.
    We had to have ours put down last summer and I miss having a baby around so much!

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  47. What a sweet puppy, here's hoping the house training happens quickly and the chewing only happens to appropriate things :).

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