I banned two people from my Facebook Page the other night, one was angry and sad because we chose “Gus” as a name – I am “sorry as hell” – she said, and said it was a dumb name, and I banned another because she agreed with the first and thought I was rude for sticking to the name we wanted. The first huffed – on my page – that she once liked me and my work, but not any more.

There was the usual he-asked-for-it response. “He put it out there, we have the right to tell him how to name his dog.” Nuts to them and good riddance. Banning people like that is a spiritual experience for me, my fight for a healthy and safe Internet.

There were five or sick such controversies about my getting Gus. Some were upset I was using a breeder, some thought he should stay with his mother for 10 weeks or more, some were worried that we might put too much pressure on Gus, and there was the usual hysteria about vets, breeders, rawhide,  anything sold by Petco, and dog food companies.

Sometimes, we are defined by what we don’t listen to as well as what we do..

I am sorry to tell you how many messages I get from poor people afraid to even talk about their new dogs on Facebook or Twitter, someone will always attack them for almost everything they do. How odd to be congratulated for my courage in naming my dog the name Maria and I want to call him. A troubling statement about our lives and our country.

In this case, going to a breeder has been  good for us.

Our vet has known Gus since birth and praises Robin Gibbons for her healthy, well cared for puppies (her first time as a breeder.) Robin, who lives just a couple of miles away,  has kept us up to date on what Gus eats and well, she has socialized him quite a bit by handling him well and lovingly. We have visited him every few days and have a sense of him already.

Her  socializing and handling of the puppies will all make training a lot easier for us. We know how his Mother treated  him, what his siblings are like, and best of all, what he is like. I think there will be few surprises coming from Gus, a clearer task for me.

Robin has made getting to know Gus a particular kind of pleasure. Even thought she works long hours as a bartender at the American Legion (she is shy about photographs), she has graciously encouraged us to visit Gus as often as we wish in the mornings, before she goes to work. She loves her dogs, and loves talking about her puppies.

I have never before had the opportunity to get to know a puppy this well, and Maria has been with me, this will lesson the transition for all of us, especially for Gus. When we come into the house, he runs right over to us, not away.

I love knowing so much about our new dog – where he came from,  how he was treated, how he dealt with the other dogs, all about the health of his line. Dogs are unpredictable, and anything can happen, but this is important information for me, it will go a long way towards training him thoughtfully and well and understanding the kind of dog he will grow up to be.

I love Gus’s older sister, she is a hellion just like Fate.  I think we got the right dog.

We are both impressed with Robin, a conscientious and careful breeder, this weekend, when the pups go to their new homes, she says she will miss them but also be relieved to get her house back. I guarantee she will be breeding again, some people just take to it.

Hannah, the mother, is getting weary of nursing – she seems done with it – and the pups are beginning to race all over the house and chew on pillar posts and table legs. It’s time for them to go. Gus has been eating dry kibble for a week, he is not yet housebroken.

I brought some hard chew sticks to Gus and he considered them and chewed on them thoughtfully. They will be in his crate to comfort him when he first comes home and shrieks a bit to discover he is alone. He’ll get over it. This is a fight no dog owner should ever lose.

Gus’s markings are getting defined, and his ear is beginning to stand up on its own, no taping, I think. I’m not sure I would do that anyway, I don’t really care if his ears stand up or not.

When Maria and I left, we asked each other for a word we thought described Gus, who will be eight weeks old when we bring him home. We both chose the same word. We both said he was “thoughtful.” Gus is a calm puppy, curious and affectionate, but also capable of looking, and seemingly pondering.

I am eager to see how Fate reacts to him. She is used to quite a bit of attention and she is protective of her toys. Fate will be Gus’s first major test in life. Red will not be a problem, if he survived the puppy Fate, he can easily handle this squirt.

We will be watching closely, I predict he can handle it. He’s coming home Friday morning. The very first stop will be at the Mansion where he will make his debut as a therapy dog.