Sweet Sweet Java!

When you breed dogs you do your very best to find just the right homes for your pups. You stay in touch with your puppy buyers and hope they stay in touch with you. But sometimes life just changes and though it is no ones fault it may be necessary to rehome one of your pups.

I could not have asked for better owners for Java. Wendy and her family did an amazing job raising this boy. They did everything right and he was very loved. She sent me many photos over the years and I truly appreciated that. But sometimes our lives change and we have to make decisions that while they break our hearts we know deep down they are the right ones. So when Wendy reached out to me about rehoming Java I did my best to reassure her, I didn’t want her to feel bad because I could tell she had many emotions going on over this most difficult decision. I knew it was breaking her heart. We can’t always control how our lives change all we can do is roll with the punches which means sometimes making decisions we would rather not make. Just to give you a glimpse of what a great life he had with his family…

This is the best “boy and his dog” photo.

I used different resources to get the word out about Java; email, messaging people I thought might be interested and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Relief and Rescue (CBRR&R) adoption option. This page is not part of the regular rescue process it is for owners to list dogs they have available. This site proved to be most helpful, and I am very thankful they offer the adoption option page. Wendy gave me all the details I needed such as weight, vaccines, training, good with children, other animals, etc. They also allow you to post a photo. So I completed the online form and sent his photo in to be posted. Within days of posting his info I was receiving calls and emails. After having conversations with several people I found one family that stood out from the rest that I felt would best fit Java as well as him fitting them.

So I scheduled a meeting with Doug and Fern and their children. These meetings can be stressful for the dog and he was a bit apprehensive at first but with a couple of hamburgers fed to him by the family he soon warmed up. Doug and the kids took him for a walk while Fern and I chatted about Java. They seemed to really like him so we ended our visit with them getting back to me once they could discuss it as a family.

The very next day Fern contacted me and said they wanted to make him part of their family. I was so excited for Java, he is such a great boy and I really liked this family.

Being his breeder I helped bring him into this world and raised him for the first 12 weeks of his life but Wendy and her family raised him for the next four years. A dog gets it foundation from the breeder but the owners play a huge roll in continuing on that foundation. So it is a joy to breeders when they see the pups they raised go on to become great dogs with the families they chose for them.  And this is reaffirmed when a professional trainer says “someone has spent a lot of time with him it’s evident in how good he is, he has a good head on his shoulders.”

It has been just over five weeks since Java became part of Doug and Ferns family and although there were a few hiccups in the beginning things have started to smooth out and they absolutely love him. This is a glimpse of him on his new journey…

This is what Fern said when she posted this photo on Facebook “He’s awesome as shown by his obsession with water and retrieving. His former owner obviously spent a lot of time teaching him obedience and how to play. He really knows how to have fun and we absolutely love this guy! Thank you Wendy and Tina.”

My heart is full knowing he has another great home and family to love him. I know they are going to make many great memories together!