it's a weimiversary!

on september 21, 2003, atlas came to live with me. oh happy happy day. i thought i'd take the opportunity to share the story of how i came to get him.

(by the way, this is not the story of how i went from not-a-dog-person to crazy-dog-person. that's a different story.)

so .. i knew i loved dogs. i knew i loved weimaraners. i knew i wanted my own weimaraner. the bad news was that i was sharing a house at the time and a dog wasn't possible - but i was scoping them out anyway. as luck would have it, a coworker's husband happened to work with the husband of someone who was co-breeding a litter. as more luck would have it, another coworker decided to get one of the puppies. i was envious, but was still in the place where i couldn't have a dog. (but oh, that puppy was adorable.)

i decided to console myself by hiking the inca trail (yes, my mind works in mysterious ways), signed up for a fall trek (it was spring), and paid my deposit. then i discovered that i was going to have surgery the same month as the hike and had to cancel. i was disappointed about the hike and not very excited and very nervous about the surgery. as i was lying around (moping no doubt) after calling to cancel, i happened to glance at the rental section of the newspaper and immediately decided that since i had this "spare money", i should use the opportunity to find a house to rent and get a dog!

as even more luck would have it, shortly after, a house went up for rent across the street from a good friend of mine. i loved the house and neighborhood, and the owners were fine with a puppy moving in too.

now i just needed the weimy.

but that was the hard part .. the puppies were gone from the previous litter and there were no other puppies looking for homes immediately (because of course i wasn't wanting to wait). i found the most adorable weimaraner puppy from the rescue organization but they seemed very unwilling to consider me as an owner (i think they weren't sure i knew what i was getting into and, in all fairness to them, i had no idea).

but then .. i heard that one of the puppies from the litter had gone back to the breeder and that, while she was considering keeping him, she might be willing to let him go - but only to the right owner! i called her and told her all about how much i loved weims and how much i wanted one and how i was willing to do anything to be a good weim owner.

i was convincing .. a few weekends later, i drove up to eureka to see him and to figure out if he was the right dog for me. i was pretty sure he was. the only problem i could see was that he was a show dog and i didn't want to show dogs, but i was trying to convince myself that it might be fun.

i knocked on the door. when lisa opened it, there were four weimy heads, barking and looking at me through the screen door. i saw the red collar on one, knew it was sammy (atlas' name at the time), looked into his eyes, and it was all over. yup, "i fell in love".

six years later, i love him more than ever. he is the best dog in the whole wide world - and i tell him daily how happy i am that he came to live with me and be my puppy.

Comments

[liss]

What a great owner you have turned out to be. I think Atlas would be just as happy to have you as you are to have him.

I think you 2 were meant for each other :)

[Marcie]

Love this story. Love at first sight?!?!? Wonderful pix of your sweet pup!!!

[Holly]

What a sweet story! Definitely meant to be! :)

[Becca]

Awww, a love story! Thanks for sharing. ;) Now I want to hear the story of how you went from non-dog person to dog lover.

[Ann Bimberg]

love the pup

[Julie M.]

Happy Weimiversary! :) I love that story. Also like the look in Atlas' eyes in the first one- so much expression.

I've also never heard the story about how you became a dog-lover!

[Helen]

awwwww..........i never knew his name was sammy, i love it! that's what i'm going to call him from now on:)..say hi to sammy for me!

[Meredith]

Isn't it just wonderful the way these things work out so perfectly sometimes? Your loving intention was answered at just the right time by just the right dog soul.

I, too, am coming to admire Atlas. I love when you share details about him. Not only is he beautiful, but he has such a charming personality.

I'm not a big dog person, myself. But my fiance is, and I've already told him we'll take the leap if we can be sure we'll take really good care of the puppy -- I know how to care for cats well, of course, but the other would be a learning experience. Someday you'll have to share how you became a dog person with us... would love to hear it :)

[Amy]

Happy Weimaversary to you and Atlas. :) I do have to say that Atlas has mellowed out certain aspects of your personality. :) He is so lovable, though.

[Gayle]

Atlas and you were meant to be together!

[elizabeth @ retinal perspectives]

@all: thanks for all the well wishes! maybe someday i'll share the other story. :)

@helen: no! it was only his name for a few weeks. i can't remember exactly what his first home named him, but it was something that kind of sort of sounded like sammy or maybe it was samuel and it didn't at all suit him so lisa called him sammy instead when he went back to her.

@amy: pffft. as if my personality wasn't perfectly mellow already. ;)

[elizabeth @ retinal perspectives]

@meredith: i'm sure you would be a wonderful dog owner! hmmmmm .. if you have cats, atlas would be willing to loan himself out for you to practice!

[elk]

what a lucky boy to have you as his final forever person!

[Candace]

He's so handsome. I've liked weimaraners since I became aware of William Wegman many years ago.