Sometimes, events transpire in your life that take you completely by surprise. One day, you find yourself in a home that has been without a four-legged companion for over a year, and the next, you’re buying food, bedding, and even selecting a name for a rescue puppy. His name is Baxter.

It all began when a friend shared her experience of stopping at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. She mentioned that visitors are welcome and that there’s even a program allowing you to spend extended time with a dog. Intrigued, I began researching this program. Hubby and I initially thought Kanab might be too far to travel, but then discovered that Best Friends has satellite facilities, including one in Los Angeles. There, you can adopt, foster, or become an Adventure Buddy, and we felt the latter option was the best fit for us. As an Adventure Buddy, you’re encouraged to take a dog out for a day of fun, ideally for two hours or more. By mid-October, after a thorough application process, we were matched with “La Santa,” an adorable pit bull mix. We cherished our time with La Santa, but ultimately, she wasn’t quite the dog we envisioned bringing home forever.

Fast forward to a few days later when a local TV station announced that the Riverside (California) Animal Shelter was well over capacity. In an effort to increase their chances to be adopted, the Riverside Animal Shelter had transported dozens of dogs to other states, such as Washington.

So, out of curiosity, I went on their website, but I didn’t really see any one dog that captured my heart.

Another friend suggested that I check out our local shelter. I visited the website of a Los Angeles shelter and instantly spotted a dog that looked just like our beloved Bayla. In the same video featuring this adorable pup was another dog named Bamboo. It was love at first sight! Within minutes, I was slipping on my shoes, eager to “visit” Bamboo with my husband. Less than two hours later, we were finalizing his adoption!

Why this dog? Oddly enough, his photo and video appeared on nearly every page I visited on the shelter’s website! Moreover, he brought back memories of a dog we fostered many years ago who eventually went to the police academy. When we finally met him, his well-behaved nature and easy-going personality were reminiscent of Bayla! We discovered he was approximately 18 months old, brought in as a stray, fully grown, and likely a shepherd mix. However, there was one little issue – we were informed that Bamboo was part of a “bonded pair” with his companion stray, Bambi. Upon inquiring about Bambi, we learned she had been adopted – without Bamboo. (So much for being “bonded.”)

Now I have a question – If you look at this sturdy black and tan shepherd mix with rottweiler markings and a black lab personality, do you think that his name should have been Bamboo? And what do you call him for a nickname- BamBam? I think not! Hubby and I deliberated for a very short time until we settled on BAXTER as his name. It seemed to fit him perfectly!

Guess what? He is not a young adult dog- but a puppy!!!

Surprise! Baxter isn’t 18 months old or fully grown; this 60-pound bundle of energy is actually a puppy—likely around a year old—and he may gain another 10 pounds (or more)! YIKES! He exhibits numerous puppy behaviors, such as rummaging through the hamper for our favorite clothes to drag around the house, eagerly tearing apart his new bed, and managing to snag just about anything off the counters, including a fresh pack of muffins! Plus, his anxiety poses a challenge, as Baxter goes BERSERK when left alone, even when crated with cozy blankets, new toys, and special treats reserved just for his crate time! HELP! It’s definitely time for a puppy trainer to guide us! (And if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!). And don’t worry- we aren’t giving up on Baxter. He is just being a puppy – and hopefully will not have an affinity for our leather couches and chairs!

Traveling with Baxter

Many people have inquired whether we intend to stop traveling now that Baxter has joined our family. The answer is a resounding NO! While it may take some time for Baxter to adjust, or our travel plans might take on a different shape, we remain committed to exploring new destinations.

Baxter and I thank you for reading!