#43 When a Puppy Takes Over Your Life

Adventures in dog raising and/or disciple making

Reader, do not be deceived.

The puppy that you see before you is not the wide-eyed, innocent creature you imagine. There is a steely, mischievous disruptive spirit beneath those teddy bear looks.

Let’s cover the basics: 

• Name: Poe (named after the Poet, not the Teletubbie or Kung Fu Panda).

• Breed: Miniature Schnauzer / Assassin

• Age: 4 long months

So how did Poe come to join our family?

Our friend Christine recently let us know that her dogs had unwittingly unleashed a litter of puppies on the world and was wondering if we wanted one. Of course, I was immediately up for this, but my wife, Leah, was much more reticent, given her wisdom in all matters relating to actual dog-care.

At this point, we should introduce the other canine member of our family - a 10-year-old rescue dog named Eli. He came to us after I returned from an inspired trip to Scotland and declared that I wanted to change my lifestyle by either a) getting a canoe or b) rescuing a dog. Eli is a short-legged but large-faced Bassador that never fails to bring laughter to people's faces when they see him. We never did get that canoe. 

Anyway, back to Poe. 

Christine and

Leah Boden

had been deliberating about the possibility of us taking one of the puppies, and eventually, we decided to ‘pop in’ to their house in Oxford to meet the crew. Driving to Oxfordshire for a quick visit, Leah was firmly in the ‘No more dogs’ camp. She had a long discussion with me about not making emotional decisions regarding big things in life. Part of the issue was that emotions had already crept in when we had named a dog we hadn't even met a few days prior.

Upon arrival in Oxford, within five minutes, we found ourselves immediately falling in love. I mean, who does a ‘try before you buy’ on the cutest bundle of fur you've ever seen and then doesn't follow through? After holding him for a while we placed the puppy back in the pen among his brothers and sisters, and he came back to see us off, waving goodbye with his tiny paws. I took the photo above and declared;

“Look, he is writing his origin story…”

Later on, I turned to Leah and asked, "Hey Leah, when we got married, would you say it was partly an emotional decision?" … She reluctantly agreed.

And thus Poe was destined to become part of the Boden family.

We managed to keep ‘Project Poe’ a secret for a couple of weeks and then on the day of his planned arrival at home we hid him in the library and called our younger children Micah (15) and Sienna (13) to come and meet a special someone. It is rare to find speechless teenagers but the shock and glee of them meeting their surprise family member will go down in Boden history.

That first night I spent three hours building an expensive crate that was more complex than an IKEA kitchen only for Poe to immediately slip through the bars and get himself free. We haven't used it once!

Now we are getting to know the actual dog behind the dream as he becomes part of our life.

LIKES

• Leah (He is obsessed)

• Sniffing

• Sniffing Leah

• Eli the Bassador

• Sniffing Eli

DISLIKES

• Transformer movies (He barks at them)

• Most Household appliances (He barks at them)

• Mops (He barks at them)

• The Ironing board (He barks at it)

• People who wear cargo trousers (He barks at them)

The experience of having a puppy in the house has been akin to having a newborn baby that can run around the house and defecate at will. What we have gained in puppy cuddles we have lost in undisrupted sleep. A few years ago I bought a book called ‘5am Miracle’. It was about how you can wake up early and maximise your day by slowly setting back your alarm clock in incremental blocks. Let’s just say I could have just brought this dog.

But seeing his relationship with Eli develop has been wonderful. We were nervous about how he may respond but they are like two pups in a pod. Their brotherly bond is second to none. I am convinced they sing in unison whenever they howl at the wind. They have this weird play-fighting tactic that involves mouthing each other constantly, and Poe likes to ride on Eli’s back. He looks like an Ewok riding a Speeder-bike.

And the children adore him. Sienna has learnt some nifty new dog training skills although Poe still likes to nibble her arms every so often. Walking both dogs is always a fun challenge that ends up with tangled leads and twisted knees. Giggles abound. Overall, it has been a rollercoaster ride of canine craziness that has exhausted us and enthralled us in equal measure.

Here’s the thing: When you introduce someone new into your world, inevitably everything gets disrupted and real adjustments have to be made. The prospect of something or someone new often fills us with excitement and anticipation, but soon the practicalities of adjustment set in for all involved. We have to move beyond an initial welcome into assimilation. Adaptation requires patience from everyone. In some ways, the old way of doing things has to end, but new relationships and rhythms emerge.

For the newcomer, understanding the intricacies of their new environment takes time. For the receiving family, there's an inherent sense of accountability to make it work, but at the other side of it all you get the joy of growth and connection.

So whether it is a puppy you are welcoming home, or maybe even inviting someone new into your church community, the process is always worth it in the end.