Oh no, you caught me being sloppy in my language. You’re absolutely right that the personality of the dog is the most important thing.

What I meant to express is that I was hoping to stack the deck in favor of getting a dog that would be friendly to others. The odds in my favor? Adopting Honey as a puppy, getting her from a breeder who understood the importance of early socialization, having one parent who was known for being particularly good with other dogs, and picking a breed who had strong tendencies toward being friendly to people and other dogs.

Thanks for offering a smart correction.

Wait … Do you really believe purebreds are easier to introduce a second dog into the mix? I have had both over the years and it is all about the dog’s personalities not whether they are purebred. It is true that some breeds are easier going and dogs from shelters have often had bad experiences that will color their view of the world – sometimes for life. You can still bring home two purebreds and end up with an Agatha and Christie situation.
I loved the story and you are right that it is not always best for the dog to stay of the home is not working out. The one thing I would say is consider that since we don’t know the subtleties of dog language, you may have who was the neurotic dog backwards even if she was the one who ended up bloody.

Thank you. Your comment is as kind and thoughtful as your blog posts always are.

Thank you for sharing your story and comments. And you’re right, all this is hindsight and I’ll never know what would have been ideal. Deep down I know we have to live the life we’re given and that once we make a decision, that’s what we have to deal with.

When I started out with Agatha and Christie, I didn’t know just what I didn’t know. And I did the best I could with the little knowledge I had (most of the time).

All these experiences are part of what got me where I am today. A large part of the reason I adopted a purebred puppy was so I could make it more likely that I could bring other dogs into my life without conflict. So I did learn something and made my next choices accordingly.

I’m glad my post touched you. I sometimes feel my writing is a bit distant and I’m trying to bring more emotion to it.

As for Shadow’s mutt mix, I can only guess. As a shelter dog, I have no idea what’s in the recipe.

I’ve been thinking about this post for a long time. It’s as much a reflection of what I didn’t know as a new adult dog guardian and what I’ve learned since then. Although thinking about Christie makes me sad, I’m still happy to have had her in my life and hope that we gave her fun times as well.

I was glad you mentioned Dr. McConnell and her experience with Hope. It was following her process that started me on the path to writing this post.

As for a second dog, if there’s one in your future, I doubt Shiva will be shy about expressing her opinion. You’ve done a great job raising her.

Bwa hahaha. You don’t seem capable of denial if you’ve already figured out the part about opposable thumbs. I’ve woken in the middle of the night to find my dog stroking my thumbs reverently and sighing, “Ahh, can opener.”

You have been able to assemble a very companionable group of dogs. I love seeing Morgan in the middle of all that greyhoundness. It does seem like everyone is right where they need to be.

Thanks for your kindness.

I hope writing this post was therapeutic…it truly sounds like you did everything you possibly could for both sweet girls. And who knows what would have happened to Christie if you hadn’t taken both home…

Just stopped to catch up with y’all. You need to be more “dog like” with yourself…live in the moment…or like my Human…learn from mistakes…close the chapter and move on…

My Human says that’s what you’ve done…learned and moved on…I rather think your still living with regrets for decisions past. I’m a dog. I sense these things! I hope posting your remembrance helps.

Thank you for sharing.
Hawk aka BrownDog