We are looking for a dog. This dog will be different. It will primarily be Maria’s dog, we are looking for a dog together, we will train it together, we will share our lives with him or her together. That will be a beautiful and important thing for us, we are both excited about it. The things we do together seem to work out very well, from our new home to the animals we care for.

Dogs can be replaced, but Frieda and Lenore cannot, this is separate from them. Maria is ready for a different kind of dog, she can protect herself these days, Frieda did her job very well. She wants a “nice dog,” as she puts it, a dog that can hang out with her in her studio and walk through the woods with her in all kinds of weather. The dog will be a family dog, of course, but primarily her dog.

I want to share the process with you – my experiences, thinking, life with a new dog, training, all of it. Maria is comfortable with that.  I will be transparent and honest with you, I am looking to share the process as always, not to turn it over to anyone else.

Shortly before Frieda died – and after – I called Linda Reece, a friend, a highly-regarded local breeder, and former veterinary assistant at the Cambridge Veterinary Clinic. I’ve known Linda a long time. She has been breeding for more than 20 years and has a lifetime of experience with dogs. She is also a human being I admire, she is honest, conscientious and very direct. She runs a boarding and kennel business called Moonbeam Meadows.

I first saw one of her dogs at the vets five or six years ago, I was struck by how grounded, calm and beautiful the dog was. And how nice. Linda breeds English Golden Retrievers, they are Golden Retrievers only bred differently: their coats are most often white, they are smaller, calmer. They are gentle dogs, duck-hunting dogs,  they love hanging out with people and tearing through snow and woods.

They can sit for hours inside as long as they get the exercise that hunting dogs require – several good walks a day.

Today, we began the process of seeking a dog, we are committed to life, not the memories of life. Linda invited us out to her kennel in Argyle, N.Y. so we could see the two females (bitches) that she plans to breed when they come into heat. If we end up with one of these dogs, the process could take from four to six months. Price is a consideration here, Linda’s dogs cost $2,000. That is a lot of money, but the dogs are worth it.  I know that is startling to the many people I meet who do not believing in paying for dogs at all, or who cannot afford to.

(I should say that people on social media do not always have good manners, many of them like to tell other people what to do and how to live.  I began to get messages right away from well-meaning  people begging me to get a rescue dog or demanding that I get one, or advising me what rescue animals were. Of course,  I know what rescue means,  there are many rescued animals here on the farm, including my border collie Red. I imagine I have many more rescue animals on the farm than the people urging me to get one. I will endeavor to be patient and gracious about this, it is part of this curious and fascinating new world.)

Dogs are my livelihood, a good part of my life. I need to make good decisions about them. Maria feels the same way.  I take them to readings, photograph them, write about them, books and blogs. Maria also takes a lot of photos and videos of animals on the farm and dogs as well. I believe Linda’s dogs have enormous potential for therapy work, if Maria wanted to pursue that.

There are so many different ways to get the right dog, I celebrate them, I do not care to tell other people what to do.

I also believe that people sometimes have to pay for things that are worthwhile, from good books to dogs. Getting a dog is nor a moral statement for me, nor is it an emotional one. It is very practical.

I have always been puzzled at the reluctance of many people to pay for dogs. I am not one of those people who believe it is foolish to pay for a dog. Sometimes, you do, in fact, get what you pay for.  I don’t take chances with the dogs I get or guess about their lives and health and disposition. You can actually know what you are getting.

This philosophy has worked well for me. I have been very fortunate in my dogs. Good breeders have  sold me wonderful dogs – Rose, Pearl, Izzy, Red (he was not bought, he is a rescue dog), Lenore. Linda’s dogs are well worth it, whether we end up with one or not. People get dogs with less thought and worry than they buy washing machines or toasters,  and I see much conflict and confusion in the lives of many dogs and their people. A dog is an animal coming into our home for many years, he or she will be around children, will meet many people, do many things.

I need to know the temperament and health and characteristics of the line going back five or six generations, I need to be sure, and Linda can do that for me, insofar as it is possible. Like any good breeder, she is available to deal with any problems, should any arise.

I do not leave these things to chance, getting a dog is not a crapshoot for me. I do not believe the right dog will find me, I believe I should do the work to find the right dog.  I need to work hard and be thoughtful to get the dog I want.

I have gotten dogs both ways, for free and by paying a good breeder. I do not tell other people how to get a dog, ever.  Linda is a special kind of breeder.  She breeds for health, temperament, coat and appearance, she lives nearby, she knows me and Maria. I trust her to match us with a puppy that will fit in with what we need, should it come to that.

Linda is also  open and transparent, she discusses her breeding techniques and procedures, she showed us photos of the male involved, she insisted on a healthy and “nice” dog for the father. Breeding “nice” dogs are a major element in Linda’s breeding program, and a major requirement for Maria and I. We could not have felt more comfortable, I was happy to note that Maria was easy with the dogs, and very easy with Linda.

When I get a dog from a breeder, it is a kind of marriage, I expect to be in touch with the breeder throughout the lifetime of the dog, consulting, sharing and learning.

We had a good visit, a good first day in our search, we liked these dogs a lot, they are sweet and calm – there were cats and a chicken running around, the dogs were appropriate and affectionate, but not all over us or in our face. I liked the size and grace of Linda’s dogs, they were not as strong or blocky as Labs, we never had the feeling of being overwhelmed or bowled over. There was a gentleness about them we both found appealing.

Their coats were smooth and soft and tight. These are very grounded dogs, they are trustworthy but highly biddable, they pay attention, make eye contact, which means they will be easier to train They shed very  lightly. They are beautiful dogs as well. They can be taken anywhere and will also love the environments of upstate New York – streams, ponds, woods. We love those things as well.

As working dogs, they are bred to be around people and to be quiet when necessary.

It felt good to both of us, but lots has to happen. Linda’s dogs have to go in heat, there have to be enough healthy puppies to go around, we have to get in line,  put ourselves on a list and take our chances. Linda’s dogs are in demand.  Linda invited us to come and see any part of the process, including the days after the birth and the immediate aftermath.

We will continue to explore our options, and open our minds to possibilities, but this was a very good and hopeful start. Linda will notify us if and when her dogs go into heat,  we will then be given the option of sending a deposit and committing to one of her puppies. We can visit her dogs as often as we like.  Then, there is some luck involved, things even the best breeders or the most eager animal lovers cannot control. I will keep you posted.