Welcome Our Newest Addition: Sophie!

As you know, our much-loved Bearded Collie, Maggie, went to the Rainbow Bridge in October. After she was gone, I really didn't think I wanted another dog. No dog could possibly measure up to her ... and could we possibly put ourselves through more loss??

As the days went by; however, the emptiness and loneliness I felt was really overwhelming. Randy and I started talking about getting another dog in the spring. In the meantime, I decided, I'd focus on cleaning the house and getting my new knitting designs finished.

As we talked about the possibility of getting a dog, Randy decided that, if and when we ever took that step, we should rescue a dog, instead of buying from a breeder, this time around.

So, without any warning, a week ago, on a quiet Sunday morning, I started looking at Petfinder. I stumbled across this photo:

The description read that this little pup was 6 weeks old and had been rescued from a shelter at 3 weeks old, along with her four little brothers. They were being fed goat's milk and were doing well. The Dad, as they understood it, was a cross between a standard poodle and a labrador and the Mom might possibly have been a beagle. Maybe. All the puppies had nicknames with Doodle in them. This one was "Doodle-Loo."

SO, to make a long story short, Amelia, Kent and I drove down to Aiken, SC in the pouring rain last Wednesday and brought little Doodle-Loo home. She is now known as Sophie and even answers to her name!

Sophie's first visit to our veterinarian's! She weighs 7 pounds.

She loves her bed and crawls up in here all by herself! She is such a good girl and doesn't even cry at night in her crate.

I have TONS of books on puppy training now and, seeing the joy Sophie is bringing to my elderly Dad, I have decided she is definitely going to be a therapy dog (if all goes as planned). She will start her first puppy class in January.

It's a fact that we will always miss Maggie and have a special place in our hearts for her. Do you know what? I think our hearts just get bigger as life goes on ... so we can make room for more.