We Got a Puppy!

Meet the newest member of our family: Lucia! We are SMITTEN! Justin and I always talked about getting a dog the first summer after we moved into a house and we can’t believe we’re here and we have her. You guys, I can’t get enough of her! Keep reading for why we decided to get a dog, where we found her, what breed she is, her personality, how she’s doing so far and why we chose Lucia as her name!

HERE’S THE STORY

Justin and I grew up with dogs and we both have some back home with our parents that we love. I never pictured a future without a dog in it, especially with a family, and I’m so glad Justin is the same way. We both agreed from the beginning that we wanted a rescue or shelter dog — essentially just not one from a breeder. Since we didn’t have a particular breed in mind that we wanted, we figured there was no point in paying big bucks for a purebred where there are tons of other types of dogs out there that need homes. We also wanted a medium-sized dog and one that would be lower maintenance hair-wise.

We began by looking on Facebook and PetFinder (did anyone else spend hours on that website as a kid?! I was obsessed!). We quickly found some we liked on PetFinder, all of which required applications in order to adopt. We filled one out with details on us and how we planned to take care of the dog, and we were so excited and anxious to hear back. They came back with a few questions, and we were soon rejected for saying we planned to let our dog spend some time unattended outside in our privacy-fenced backyard. No matter the size, age or personality of the dog, most of these rescue shelters require you keep them inside 24/7. This was dumbfounding to me since my own dogs have loved being outside, and if the weather is nice and they have everything they need to be safe and happy out there, what is the harm? We were bummed.

I didn’t want to dwell on it, so I hit the ground running with new options the next day — and BOY am I glad I did because it led us to our sweet Lucia! Justin suggested looking on Craigslist and I was instantly drawn to our white little 13-week puppy. I couldn’t tell what breed she was and she looked unique, and I LOVED that! I texted the listed number and they responded so quickly and kindly. I had a good feeling about it, and we set up a time to meet her the following day.

Honestly, I was just as nervous to meet her as I would be to make a speech (and let me tell you, those freak me out like no other). I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day and I was praying that the seller would show up to our meeting place. I feel like Justin and I have bad luck with this kind of stuff, so I was preparing for the worst. We got to the meeting spot first and we got excited about each and every car that drove by, thinking it was her. The father and daughter finally pulled up and any uncertainty we could have possibly had about her being “the one” evaporated the second we saw her. She. Was. Perfect. Our hearts melted and the deal was sealed.

We left that parking lot with the pup we’d soon be naming Lucia and with absolutely nothing purchased for her because we were too scared to jump the gun on a dog that may not become ours. We’d only started our search three days before and set up the meeting the night before, so it all happened so quick and we approached it will a “let’s see how this goes” mindset.

If we’d known we’d be getting her so soon, we would have done a lot more prep work — but sometimes I think things work out the way they do for a reason. We didn’t have a single thing for her when we bought her and went straight to Petco afterward to get her a color, leash, bed, bowls, food, etc. Everyone was stopping us in the store saying “OMG she’s so cute! How long have you had her?!” Our response: “About 10 minutes.”

A LITTLE ABOUT HER

As for her personality and how she’s doing so far, she’s soooo soft, so sweet and friendly. She loves cuddling, falling asleep in your lap (and in her crate too), her little fuzzy bear and rope toys, watching TV, and running laps around the house and yard. She’s adjusting very well! She slept in her crate both nights so far with zero issues (no crying, she walks herself in there and falls asleep), and we were so shocked and impressed by that. She’s had a few accidents inside and is biting as puppies do of course, but she really is our little angel and I want to cherish each and every moment with her because she won’t be this little forever. We love her to pieces and can’t believe she’s ours.

We wanted her name to have meaning for us and we came to the idea of naming her Lucia, after our honeymoon in St. Lucia (pronounced loo-sha). We like the name because it’s unique, but still easy to say and understand. We think it fits her perfectly! “Looshy-gooshy” is my favorite nickname so far! 😜

What kind of dog is she? We’re not sure! The previous owner said she’s a lab and beagle mix, but it’s hard to say. The black and brown spot on her butt/tail looks like a beagle to me, but we don’t know about the rest. Her face seems to resemble more of a border collie and her hair is more soft instead of lab-like. All I know is that she’s a CUTIE!

If this story teaches you anything, I hope it’s that some things are just meant to be. Though getting her was pretty sudden and something we wouldn’t usually do so unplanned, it was right for us. Every time she pees inside or chews one of my many rattan items, I remind myself that she will never be as little again as she is today and I’m cherishing every single second with her. She’s sleeping in my lap as I write this and wow, I’m about to tear up… my heart hurts, I love her so much. It’s so crazy to think our future kids will grow up with her and she’ll very well be part of our family for the next 10+ years/the remainder of her life. I hope we’re blessed to enjoy her and love her for that long. Okay, I gotta go before the waterworks start.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little more about our pup! She’s a big part of our lives now and I’ll be sharing updates, photos and videos of her on Instagram and here on my blog. We’re feeling so lucky to have such a fun little buddy around. Have a great weekend!