BËHR
We got a dog.
For the longest time, we had been wanting a dog; however, it wasn't a feasible option for us. Our oldest, Simon, is very sensitive to sound and barking really hurts his ears. What is a simple bark to us sounds deafening to him. Another reason why we refused to get a dog is because I despise dog hair with a passion. OK, maybe that's a bit extreme. It's still not my favorite thing in the whole world, but... after moving into our house, I have spent the past two years cleaning out dog hair from just about every nook and cranny of this place. The previous owner had a dog that was not regularly groomed, so there was dog hair everywhere. I was sick of it.
I was at the point where I had given up on the idea of having a dog. I had come to terms with not having a pet to love (my husband's fish don't count, by the way...) when friends of ours, who we'll call M & S to protect their privacy, were trying to get rid of the family dog due to some lifestyle changes. With some hesitance, I started asking M some questions... He said they could no longer care for him and were actively looking for a family that could give him the attention and love he deserved. The conversation went something like this:
Me: How old is he?
Friend: 1½
Me: Does he have all his shots?
Friend: Yeah
Me: Hmmm... I don't know... I don't like dog hair... Friend: It's a shih tzu. He doesn't shed. His hair just grows.
Me: (still not convinced) The barking will bother Simon.
Friend: Dude...this dog doesn't even bark.
What the f---?! A bark-less, shed-less dog?! I was definitely curious now. I told him I would talk to my husband and get back to him. My husband said, "Let's try this for a couple of weeks. If Simon takes to the dog and we have zero issues, we'll keep him". I contacted our friends right away and the very next day, our youngest, Lucas, and I were over to check this doggie out.
My friend S opened the door and there was no animal sounds coming out of the house. Lucas was eager to meet the doggie. As soon as S opened the crate, we were hooked. He was so friendly and happy and, the best part, he didn't make a single sound even when the mailman came to the door to drop off a package. What in the world? It was practically a miracle. After spending some time with our friends, they loaded him and his stuff into the car. I was nervous. Was this the right decision? Would Simon be OK with this?
That first day, when Simon got home from school, things didn't pan out that great. Simon sat at the top of the stairs looking down and the dog would stare at Simon from the bottom of the stairs. It went on like that for about two more days. I didn't think things would work out. Then, the miracle happened. As the days went by, Simon and the dog got more and more comfortable until they started trusting each other: They went from being completely reserved around one another to laughing, playing fetch, running, hugging. My eyes couldn't believe it. What we thought impossible turned into a marvelous reality. And we loved seeing every second of it.
Needless to say, we officially adopted Bëhr a month later. He truly is everything we had wished for in a doggie -- he rarely barks and doesn't shed. He is the sweetest, most patient dog with our boys (especially our special needs son). He is kind, loving, and very snuggly.
We never thought this would be possible or materialize in any way but, we hope this simple story shows you, whatever you pray for and believe in will come true.
Because, as you can see, Bëhr was meant to be. ♥