But I Don’t Want a Dog!

I was newly retired from full time work when I found a very small dog wandering in my neighborhood. “Why don’t we keep it if you don’t find the owner,” my husband suggested.

“I don’t want a dog,” I informed him. After I reunited the dog with her owner, my husband’s requests continued for weeks and so did my resistance. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in getting up early to walk a dog, especially in bad weather. I don’t want the extra housework involved in cleaning up dog hair. And I certainly don’t want to pick up any dog’s ‘business,’” I insisted.

One morning on my daily walk as I thought about my husband’s persistent request, I was reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I decided to consult with God about the situation. I told him about my husband’s annoying request (like he didn’t already know), and how much I really didn’t want a dog (like he didn’t know that either). After I pled my case, I clearly sensed my husband needed a dog. After my walk, I broke the news to my husband. “Ok, we can get a dog,” I announced. But before we did, I prayed that God would guide us to the right dog. We both agreed we wanted a female beyond the puppy stage. And she definitely had to be housebroken. After I met a friend’s shih tzu, I decided on the breed–small, non-shedding, and low energy. A perfect fit for us.

For a month I contacted every local rescue group with an advertised female shih tzu. Each time I was told she had already been adopted. I searched Craigslist and found a female shih tzu someone was trying to find a home for after she was found wandering and no original owner could be located. The problem was the dog wouldn’t let anyone near her face to groom her, so she looked pretty shabby. The dog’s current caretaker suspected she may have been injured in a grooming accident since she was missing an eye. I searched the phone book for the number of a grooming shop I remembered seeing in a nearby shopping center to inquire as to whether they would be able to groom such a difficult dog. When I called the number and asked if they were located in that shopping center, I was told they were not. However, they were located just a few miles away on the same road. I explained my situation, and the shop owner immediately told me of a female shih tzu in a rescue group that hadn’t been advertised. My interest was instantly peaked.

I filled out the application, and we met her shortly afterwards. She was approximately three years old and found three months earlier wandering the streets skinny, sick and matted. The shelter picked her up wearing no collar, tags or microchip. No owner ever came to claim her. She was soon pulled from the shelter by a rescue group and nurtured back to health in a wonderful foster home. I spoke with the foster mom who told me she was the easiest dog she ever had, and even slept late! “Whoever heard of a dog who sleeps late,” I said to my husband. “She sounds perfect for us.” The following week we met the dog and adopted her a few weeks later. We named her Fergie because the name sounded fun and different.

We soon discovered Fergie to be the quietest dog we ever met, rarely barked and indeed slept very late. She also knows the bathroom is outside and is the most chilled out dog we’ve ever met. She behaves more like a cat than a dog.

Fergie sleeps at the foot of our bed on top of her own little blanket. She lets me comb her hair every morning before I put a bow in it, and even lets me brush her teeth. Whenever we ask her if she wants to go for a ride, she gets very excited and runs to the back door practically flying through the air as if she has wings. She goes everywhere with us–or at least everywhere that will allow a dog. When I take her with me to see an elderly friend who lives in a nearby retirement community, the faces of the residents and staff light up as soon as they see her being pushed around in her pretty pink pet stroller. Even my husband takes her on errands and isn’t embarrassed to be seen pushing her around the stores in her stroller and wearing hair bows. She is so much fun and has definitely lived up to her name.

When I think back on how we found her, I don’t believe it was an accident that I dialed the wrong grooming facility. I believe it was an answer to prayer. I’m so glad I didn’t continue to deny my husband’s request for a dog, but instead consulted with God on the matter. We both would have missed out on a lot of joy had I insisted on my own way. Our Heavenly Father truly does know best!

(Below is a photo of Fergie today!)