It’s Hunting Season in the Claussen household. No, we aren’t trekking through the forest and fields tracking deer, pheasant, or turkey. And no, you won’t find us sitting patiently in our hunting blinds waiting for ducks. You may, however, find us scouring through dozens of ads and Humane Society posts and visiting countless shelters and rescue leagues… searching for the perfect family dog. We’ve continued on this hunt for almost a year now. I admit, I’m beginning to feel like “man’s best friend” will never be found! This process is exhausting.
In March of 2012, our family was blessed beyond measure with a beautiful cat, Sophie. She is a Seal Point Ragdoll with the most gorgeous, bright blue eyes. We adopted her from an old high school friend who had acquired an allergy to felines. Even better than her beauty though, is her extremely wonderful temperament. Let me tell you, she is THE BEST cat I have EVER owned!!! She is amazing with our 3 crazy kiddos. They pick her up and carry her around like a baby doll and she just goes along for the ride. She has never, EVER shown any sign of aggression whatsoever. (I’m not even sure she knows how to hiss or claw). She is also quite the lap-cat.
Sophie has only had one accident in the 15 months that she’s been a part of this family… she took a #2 right outside the front of her litter box, because apparently she didn’t approve of the new kind of litter my husband bought! (Overshare… sorry!) Anyways, if I had to make any complaint about this beautiful creature at all… it would be that maybe sometimes she is too loving. She really enjoys “kneading biscuits” on our bellies when we’re trying to lie down for bed. Alas, it is tolerable! =)
Here is our problem: since we have such an amazing kitty, my standards are quite high in our search for the perfect canine companion. My husband and I are very fond of large breed dogs. It MUST be good with kids and cats, and can’t be extremely rambunctious. (We tried our hand at Pit-puppy ownership last year and it was just too high-strung and boisterous for our young family). We learned that we don’t mesh well with a pet that tends to be dominant or has any sort of temperament/aggression issues. We’d also like for him/her to be house-trained, which kind of eliminates puppies from our search. Am I being too picky? Maybe. But I also know that this animal will be a part of our lives for years and years to come. He/she will be our children’s best friend, my running buddy, our security on a dark night, my husband’s second companion, and most importantly, a member of our family (just like our beautiful Sophie)!
We’ve been so close, a handful of times, to bringing home a too-good-to-be-true dog, (foreshadowing at it’s finest) only to have the rug ripped out from under our feet. For instance, we were inches away from our approved adoption of a very handsome and kid-friendly Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, when at the last minute (an extremely bitter-sweet moment), his past owners came to rescue him from the shelter. The letdowns continued: we found 2 different loving Golden Retrievers around the area through sale ads. Unfortunately, neither panned out and our hearts were crushed a little more. We have found some wonderful pets online and in stores, but they are just too far out of our price range. (Don’t get me wrong, we’re willing to pay an adoption fee, re-homing fee, and other pet-fees, but $1,000 is too stiff for this small-town family. I grew up with free “mutts” and they were some of the most loving and loyal dogs in our neighborhood).
I do trust that someday, hopefully sooner-than-later, God will lead the perfect family dog straight to our font door (not literally, although that would be awesome!) Until then, we will continue on our hunt, speaking with many wonderful people who are willing to let go of their beloved companion, have play-dates with more beautiful doggies in our area, and enjoy the good company of our wonderful Sophie-cat to tide us over.
Now tell me, what has been the best canine mate for your family? Did you search ads for the perfect dog or did one jump out at you with those adorable sad puppy eyes at the shelter? What breeds do you recommend for a family with young children? How much were you willing to pay for your companion (if any money at all)? Do you have any suggestions as to where to find a large breed dog in the IC area?
And lastly, another sweet picture of our wonderful Sophie! Now please, help us find her a dog friend! 
What a beautiful cat! We just adopted my sister-in-laws dog Daisy a year ago and she has been the biggest blessing. The perfect dog, my heart broke when I learned she was headed to the pound. A mix of Pitbull and Springer Spaniel. We feel so blessed to have her in our life. Blessings on finding just the perfect companion, yes God cares even about things like this and knows just the right match. 🙂
That is wonderful that you found such a great dog, Robyn!!! And I absolutely agree, the Lord know the desires of our hearts and will bless us in His time with the perfect pooch! =)
I just have to learn to be more patient! 😉
Sophie is gorgeous! I hope your dog finds their way to you soon – they’re out there and just haven’t found you yet. You may already be looking here, but the Iowa City Animal Center is a great place to find a large breed, adult dog. The staff is very knowledgeable and is great at working with you to find the right dog for your family. Our sweet pit bull mix came from there and I couldn’t ask for a better dog for our child. Their website sometimes runs a little behind, so there are usually dogs available for adoption that haven’t made their way to the site yet – great dogs come in all the time. This one is a little farther away, but the PAWS and More animal shelter in Washington is also good. And I hear about dogs who need to be re-homed sometimes, so if I hear of any who sound like they match what you’re looking for, I’ll send them your way. 🙂 Best of luck to your family with your search!
Hi Kristin, thanks for the encouraging words! =) Yes, we are very familiar with PAWS in Washington and visit their animals quite frequently. We haven’t visited the Iowa Animal Center though… so thank you so much for that suggestion, we will definitely be checking it out!! 😀
Check into a Clumber Spaniel, a Welsh Springer Spaniel, or possibly a Vizsla. Or, of course, a mixed breed with one of these parents.
Hi Debbie! Great suggestions! I love the look and temperaments of both of the Spaniel breeds you listed! Thank you, thank you!!! 🙂
I think it’s great you’re being so methodical with your search. It is such a big commitment, you need to be sure it’s right. I am partial to shelter dogs, just because there are so many good dogs that need good homes. Especially since you want one that is already potty trained, I think your best bet is a shelter. We got our chocolate lab from a shelter in Decorah. They are wonderful to work with and would highly recommend you check them out if you’re willing to travel a couple of hours: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/IA18.html
Yes that’s exactly right, Katie! We jumped right into dog-ownership early last year – just being so anxious to finally have one – but it was definitely a rushed decision and had a bad turn-out. (i.e. puppy story from above). I feel bad for my husband because he just longs for a canine companion so much. However, I know that this long and thorough process will have been well worth it once the perfect dog comes along. The kids and I really enjoyed looking at the dogs on the website you linked to in Decorah (we are always willing to travel to find the right match)! Can’t wait for my husband to get home to show him as well; I only wish so many of them weren’t already pending adoption. 😉 Thanks for the suggestion!
My hubby and I were both raised with mini-dachshunds. So after being married about 6 months, we got one, “Sully”. Sully was 5 years old when our first child was born and 7 with the next one. He is WONDERFUL with them. We actually feel sorry for him that he gets so much abuse (pulling, tugging, extra hard pats) but he always demands to be right in the middle of the action. They are great family dogs. I think how dogs are “raised” makes a big difference (Sully was exposed to children outside our home when he was growing older and we made sure to man handle him a lot). So, if you get an older dog, you can determine how they will behave, HOWEVER, getting a puppy with small children is hard. Kids tend to “tease” dogs and sometimes make them nippers. Good luck! I am sure you will find the right dog for your family!
Emily, that is too funny… I grew up with 2 different “wiener” dogs in the house! And yes, I absolutely agree with how dogs are raised can make a big difference. We definitely want a family-friendly pooch who has been around kids and cats before. And thank you for the encouraging word! =)
I think you should keep looking for a Golden Retriever. I grew up with one and my husband and I brought a golden puppy into our home 6 years ago. Since then we have had a baby, and that dog could not be better with kids. Our 2 year old dresses her, puts blankets on her, steps on her, walks her on a leash, etc. The dog is unbelievably patient and beautiful. The only downside is the shedding, but no worse than a cat I would imagine.
Hi Libby! Oh yes, we are very familiar with the never-ending shedding of hair (with Sophie being a long-haired fur ball)! Haha! And my husband and I both absolutely love Golden Retrievers – such a great family-friendly breed! I am so sad that things didn’t work out with the last 2 we visited, but we are definitely continuing to look! They are high on our list! Very glad to hear that yours is wonderful with your kids — in fact, I don’t think I’ve heard it any other way! Thanks for commenting! =)
Border collies are amazing with kids! We just had to give away our almost 10 year old “dog child” because my toddler is extremely allergic to him and all dogs. Thankfully, my cousin adopted him and it all worked out. I hope you find a great dog- sometimes the old ones are the great ones!!! 😉
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