How We Found the Perfect Dog

For many years we knew we were a dog family.

But after a few attempted dog rescues, we always ended up needing a rescue of our own.

We were that family that stalked dog owners at the farmer’s market or parks, pelting people with endless questions about potty training, best crates to buy, tricks to make a dog stop chewing up socks and expensive bras. (former craziness with a dog named Tate)

Then, one day, we were heading home from a road trip driving through Saint Louis.

“Hey mom, check out this dog!” my son said as he showed me the cutest dog in the world on his phone.

It was an Australian Labradoodle and the breeder lived nearby.

“Why don’t you call her and see if we can stop by and check out her dogs,” he said smiling with hope.

I called and not only did the breeder tell us we could stop by, but she had fourteen puppies we could check out and play with. She even described her dogs as the “perfect dog”.

We were armed for some serious puppy kisses and ready to just look.

The five of us fell in love in five seconds. We were a mess sitting on the floor with puppies crawling all over us. This was the dream dog. No shedding. Very obedient. Pleasant personalities. Great with kids. An overall perfect dog for a family.

The best part of this story was the connection we made with the breeder, Becky. We talked for an hour and even prayed together about a difficult situation she was going through. We stayed in touch and continued to encourage each other. I even set up a fan page for her dogs on Facebook.

A year later, Becky emailed me out-of-the-blue that she had prayed about it and wanted to GIVE our family one of her female puppies. Little did she know, we’d been praying as a family about adopting one of her beautiful puppies for months, but didn’t have the budget to make that happen. We were totally blown away by her generosity and kindness.

We adopted Lavi and brought her home Easter weekend.

I’m not going to lie. Raising a puppy is a lot of hard work and takes dedication. But we think it’s been worth it (despite a few chewed up socks).

I’m grateful that in the midst of our busy lives, sometimes when you stop and take the time to encourage one another, the blessings in return are miraculous. Even puppy miracles happen. God cares about the things we care about and loves us as His children. He is holy and mighty and loves to bless us with the desire of our hearts.

If you are interested in adopting an Australian Labradoodle from Becky, check out her website and puppies available here.

I’d love to hear your best puppy tips or your special “pet” story to share.