Phoebe-doodle

I couldn’t stop myself. 

She looked just like her, she needed a new home, and she was free.

When I was 18-years-old, my mom gave away our labradoodle, Stella, without telling me. She was 6 and I adored her. I was away at my freshman year of college when my mom got rid of her. Stella needed a surgery on one of her ears that my parents couldn’t afford (I could, but no one bothered to ask me) so my mother gave her to a vet technician at our vet so that Stella could have the surgery – on the condition we never tried to have contact with her again. So I left for school and never saw Stella again. 

So in October 2015, when I saw an ad on a Facebook page for a labradoodle named Remi who needed a new home, I jumped at the chance. Did I already have two dogs? Yes. Did I care? Absolutely not. I was unstoppable when it came to getting her. 

My friend Emily came with me to pick her up, just like she did with Luna. When we arrived at the house (in some small town I don’t remember the name of) she greeted us at the door, jumping and happy to see us like we were old friends. The woman I had been corresponding with had let me know she would be gone with her three kids and her soon to be ex husband would be waiting with the dog. I saw quickly that Remi had not been properly taken care of. I could smell that her ears hadn’t been cleaned and were most likely infected. All her belongings consisted of a ¼ bag of dog food, a leash, two bowls, and one toy that had clearly never been played with as it looked brand new.

We opened the door to the car and she jumped in without provocation, like she was ready to go for a ride with her new friend. The man didn’t really seem to care that Remi was leaving. He didn’t even say goodbye. I was never more sure of how right my decision had been right then. 

 

The whole way home, Remi was trying to climb up into the front seat just to be closer to us. We were laughing the whole way home because she was so strong and hard to get to stay in the backseat. We had also both decided Remi was not the right name for this 2 ½ -year-old wild animal, so we tried to brainstorm names. Gracie? No… that was my friend’s dog’s name. Rosey? Onyx? No... none of them fit.

Once we got her home and saw her running like a crazy woman around the yard, we decided on Phoebe (Like from the Friends episode where Phoebe runs crazy?)as her name. We let out Juliet and Luna to meet their new sister. Phoebe loved them immediately, and Luna found a new friend right away. 

 

Juliet was more tentative at first. She was used to being the biggest and the oldest, now. While Phoebe was still younger, she was a lot bigger. And all muscle.

Getting Jules and Phoebe to get along took longer than I thought. They fought over dominance twice, and when Phoebe drew blood and left a scar on Juliet’s nose, I set Phoebe straight and Juliet both straight: I was Alpha, neither of them were. Juliet still asserts her dominance, but now Phoebe steps aside. She knows when to back down and when it’s play time.

I was afraid to tell my dad about bringing her home, so I waited two whole weeks before I called and told him (he was in California at the time). At first, I just sent him a picture of Phoebe. He responded with a sad face because he automatically assumed it was a picture of our dog Stella. When I replied it wasn’t Stella, I got no response. So I called and told him about Phoebe and how I got her. He wasn’t upset, didn’t lecture me about the three dogs. He simply marveled at how much they look alike and asked if I had some closure about Stella now. And to my surprise, I did. I didn’t have that little lingering spark of anger at my mom for taking her from me without letting me say goodbye.

 

(Stella on the left, Phoebe on the right)

Phoebe was right at home from the start. She slept with me every night, sometimes even sharing the same pillow as me because she likes to lay right next to you. When you pet her and stop, she paws at you to get you to keep going because she will let you know when you’re done, not you! ;) 

When my dad came back from California, he fell in love with Phoebe as well. She loves to snuggle and nap with him in his recliner. Luna and Phoebe will cuddle with him in his bed too.

 

Phoebe is 4-years-old now and still living happily with Juliet and Luna. She still has ear issues, but that comes with her specific breed. We just have to keep them clean.

Phoebe has truly fallen in love with my boyfriend Chris. She listens to him more than anyone else and loves to be by his side. He loves her just as much, making sure she gets her walks, plenty of bones, and treats. Oh, and peanut butter.

A friend once told me that rescue dogs just love so much, and that is so true with Phoebe. She just wants to be with people and other dogs. She loves her snuggle time with all of us, including Luna. Their newest thing is lying next to one another back to back on the bed or when they are taking a break outside from running and playing.

Three dogs is a lot. I don’t know if I will ever have three dogs again, who knows. It’s a lot of work. But all three of them are worth every  minute and I would never change them for anything in the world. They bring me joy when I am down and show me such unconditional love. No one quite loves like a dog. 

And my three girls love.