somerville dog: a weblog

Poodles do not shed: instead of fur, they have hair that grows continuously (like human hair). Because of the frequent grooming poodles require, their coats trap less dander and dust, which, some say, are the real causes of pet allergies. Poodles are, therefore, a good choice for people who suffer from pet allergies and want a dog. Also, a Standard Poodle offers the secuity of a large dog.

I submitted an application to Poodle Rescue of New England in Janaury 2004. Through the entire month of February I worried that I would never find a dog. Every day I checked the PRNE website and PetFinder--several times a day. I also started reading lots of books about poodles and about owning and training a dog, and I joined a couple of poodle-related e-mail discussion groups: Poodle-L and PSG (Poodle Support Group).

Then, in March, I was finally contacted by a PRNE volunteer, who scheduled an appointment for a combined home visit and adoption interview. The volunteer brought her standard poodle to the appointment: happily, my husband, who has pet allergies, had no allergic reaction to the poodle in our home. The PRNE volunteer spent about an hour and a half in our home, answering our questions about living with and caring for a Standard Poodle and making observations about things that a dog might do that, as first-time dog owners, we might not expect: e.g. make nose prints in the windows; stain the curtains and upholstery by leaning or brushing against them; have an "accident" in the forced hot air registers in the floor. The volunteer also advised us that all Somerville parks are posted "No Dogs Allowed," and recommended parks owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Urban Parks and Recreation (formerly the Metropolitan District Commission [MDC]), as well as some parks in neighboring municipalities, where dogs are allowed, but, for the most part, must be on leash.

In mid-March I attended a match organized by the Poodle Club of Massachusetts, where poodles got to "practice", as it were, for conformation, obedience and rally competitions. At the match, the PRNE volunteer who had visited my home introduced me to a breeder who was looking to adopt out a six-year-old bitch, who had never produced a litter and was, therefore, being retired from breeding. The breeder wanted her to enjoy the rest of her life as a pet in a family who could give her the attention of an "only dog".

Strummer came home with us April 2, 2004; we finalized the adoption on April 19, Patriot's Day. It felt like forever, but in the end it took only three months from the time I submitted my application to Poodle Rescue of New England until I had adopted my dog!