The Road to Healing
Losing Trooper hit us hard. You expect to lose an older dog but not such a young and healthy dog. Trooper was more than just a dog; he was family. When cancer took him away at just two years old, it felt like a piece of our hearts was torn out. We couldn't imagine going through that pain again, but we longed for another family dog so we decided to look for a different breed. That's how Shadow came into our lives.
I found Shadow through a very reputable breeder here in Utah. He was 12 weeks old and ready for his new home. I drove the 6 hour roundtrip to pick him up and then straight to the kids' school to check them out early from school to spend time with their new puppy. It was instant love. The girls are since having a blast training him to do all the essentials like sit, shake, fetch, down, speak. He knows them all but whether he cares to cooperate or just argue back is always the question. He is so stubborn - tete dur as we say in Cajun :) Try taking him on a walk when he doesn't want to and you will end up having to hold him the whole way or he will sit there like a boulder. Nonetheless, we all love him and are enjoying watching him grow.
His name is a nod to Trooper, a constant reminder of the dog we'll always miss. But Shadow has his own way of healing us. He's a cuddle bug, always nuzzling close, melting away the sadness that lingered after Trooper's passing. Though nothing could replace Trooper, Shadow's love fills the gaps in our hearts, reminding us that there's always room for more love, even after loss.
