It all started a little more than a year ago, with a son’s caring for his elderly mother.

Alan: It had been several years since my father’s passing and we, everyone in the family, were progressing through the stages of grief, learning to cope with the reality of our loss. He was a big man, a person that contributed so much, then suddenly, he was gone.  No one could fill his shoes or attain to the bar he raised so high.

Shirley: We were married 67 years when the Lord God chose to take my life’s partner home. We were thankful for those years together and although we had hoped to make 70 years, this was not to be. He went home quickly for which we were all thankful, but the void it left was hard to put into words. I am learning that “grief never ends because love never ends.”

 We did everything together. From high school on, we knew the answer to loneliness was being together. We were busy; God was gracious in giving us five children to love and care for, several businesses and a flourishing ministry. Household pets were in the picture somewhere, but they were for the kids, and having grown up in a household where my dad considered them as disease carriers, dogs and cats lived outdoors.

The son observed his mother living alone in the big house that she had shared with her husband for more than fifty years. After his passing, she installed a new walkway and nursed her flower gardens to a new height of beauty and perfection. But despite keeping busy as she improved the property, accepting the challenge of maintaining and upgrading the home she loved, she was aging and health issues were becoming more of a concern and priority.

Alan: My mother has always been an advocate for physical fitness, rising early, and exercising for hours. I have no doubt that even though I am twenty years her younger, that she is in better shape than I. She accepted her new life, the challenge of living alone, with great dignity. She had social engagements, was still driving to events she shared with her friends, and made many new ones.  But despite all this activity, there were the times when she was alone, awaking each morning, resigning herself to slumber each evening, and in-between, meal times. It was the first time in her life to be completely alone, and I sensed that it was difficult for her.

Shirley: How difficult was it to live alone? Until God came into my life at age ten, I had always felt alone. I remember spending a good deal of time playing alone with paper dolls and play acting, alone, in musicals on my tiny back porch. So, I guess you could say that I grew comfortable with myself. That doesn’t mean that after my husband’s death I didn’t cry a lot because I did. I had become very dependent on him. Our relationship was not like those where one goes his way and she goes hers.  Whatever my husband became interested in, that became my interest. I wonder if that may have helped with my loneliness. All my memories include him.             

Being a dog lover and currently living with a ShihPoo, the son knew the benefits of dog ownership. During his lifetime, each new dog came with additional access and privilege in his home. His present companion, “Mister Dickens,” has the run of the house, travels with him, walks with him, and sleeps at his feet.

Shirley: I kept telling Alan that I did not want a dog. Like many kids growing up, I never had the desire to have a dog. I’m sure my reasoning for this was influenced by the opinions of my father, besides how smart could a dog be? And how could they be a deterrent to loneliness, and most of all, could they really?

Alan: With Mister Dickens aging, I thought about the future and doubted that I would be willing to take on the challenge of another dog at the age of seventy-five. I mean, who knows what the future holds, right? So… I considered, why not do it now, while I am able. I will have the new puppy until the age of about eighty-five.

Then the idea came of shared ownership. I should share my new puppy with my mother. I would be at her beck and call for whenever she needs assistance.

Primarily, the care of the dog would be my responsibility. And, Mom would never have to worry about what would happen to her dog in the future, as it would come back to me.

“Chloe,” a ten-week-old Cavapoo, came into our lives, weighing a bit more than three pounds, being little more than a handful. But what energy and excitement she had! I raised her for the first eleven months, focusing primarily on house training. Then I introduced her to my mother. At first, she’d stay only a day or two until my mom would call for assistance, and send the pup back to my house.

Eventually, Chloe stayed for an entire week as I went on vacation. Upon my return, Mom had formed a bond with the puppy that hurt in separation. She asked if Chloe could stay with her.

Shirley: I’d say it was her love for me, that touched my heart, and was most convincing. She loves everybody and is so loyal. She was beginning to look forward to coming to my house and didn’t miss Alan as much. In fact, I remember clearly the day Alan left and I stood there, holding Chloe, and watched her look between me and him and saw her decide that it was alright to stay with me.

And so, their story began. But how did it happen that the son soon adopted a second puppy, a sister to Chloe that he named “Zoe”? And what did he and his mother learn through their shared experience; although, it was actually more like an experiment?

It’s a fun and exciting story that unfolds on the pages that follow. Chloe versus Zoe, though sisters, they are so very different, demanding that the owner/trainer continue to learn and adapt. These insights will support and guide you, the reader, in your fur-child endeavors.

The choices the son made, to welcome a new puppy into his home, to share it with his ninety-year-old mother, and then to acquire a second one, will always be remembered as daring, but in the end, wise, as these two little darlings changed their owners for the better. These pups brought more laughter, happiness, and yes, even joy into their lives, more than they could have ever expected.

So read on. Acquire all the information, and inspiration, needed to make your decision, the choice for companionship. Perhaps other sons or daughters will follow Alan’s example and provide the support their parents need to become puppy parents. The details provided, with internet links for equipment and supplies, will answer your questions and give you confidence to expand your family.

What fun to behold!