Getting Millie - Part VI

Not every dog is that special one who connects to your soul like my big sweet Newfoundland, Lucille, did. She was the gentle creature who’d taken me through the death of my sister, family problems, surgeries, the isolation of Covid. For me, her departure was one of the great tragedies of my life. And so, as soon as she was gone, I set out to find another dog. As it turned out, I should have waited.

THIS IS PART 6 of a SIX-PART STORY

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Dogs, dogs, dogs.

The postscript to this story is that I became obsessed with finding another dog and began to scour Craigslist in Houston and Dallas for possibilities.

Against my better judgment, I put money down on a sturdy and totally untrained Newfoundland mix puppy who’d been bred in Ohio. She was supposed to arrive this morning, but as the days grew closer my sense of dread became more and more powerful and I finally listened to myself and canceled the purchase.

The sense of relief was instant. I lost money, but didn’t care. For the first time in many weeks, I felt calm and optimistic.

But the search wasn’t over. I couldn’t let go of the idea of finding another dog and continued scouring the various sites for prospects.

Meanwhile, peace reigned in our house. No puppy racing around with a stolen scarf in her mouth, no having to pull down my sleeves to hide bite marks, no huge, dirty puppy paws on the couch or kitchen counter. I should’ve been happy, but there was this empty place in me that wanted another canine – a big, fluffy, full-throated canine that would make intruders think twice before attempting to gain access to our property. So I kept looking.

The truth is, this is the worst time for me to deal with the upheaval of a new dog. I’m about to start work on a new novel. And our household is as full as it could be with my daughter, who works out of my studio, and her baby (and baby nurse) here every day.

But my craziness continues.

Now I’m planning to look at a nine-month-old Landseer puppy in Houston. He’s huge and gorgeous and he just might be my next dog. 

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