A couple of months ago, Doris, who lives in Virginia,  called my radio show “Taking To Animals” (the station director quit last month and there was no way to do the show alone) and said she needed some help in deciding what dog to get.

We talked a long time.

Doris was getting all kinds of advice from people and was worried about getting a puppy because of her back and some differences with her husband. He wanted a Lab. She had e-mailed me earlier looking for some ideas about what kind of dog to get.

She also was worried about some back problems, and whether or not a puppy might aggravate her condition.

Doris was one of those too rare thoughtful people who really wanted to take some time to get the right dog. She didn’t “have to” rescue a dog or act in an emotional or impulsive way.

We talked for a long time, and I remember telling her that she should not let other people determine her dog. I said she should picture the kind of dog she wanted, and go out and get that dog. That’s what works the best.

Puppies grow up quickly, and  a smaller dog would not pose a threat to her back. We talked about different breeds and the importance of getting a dog you will love, a dog that’s right for you, not the dog other people tell you that you should love.

Today, I got one of those e-mails that makes my day, that makes me happy to be me.

“I wanted to let you know that we got our puppy today,” she wrote.

“She is a Cavachon, 14 weeks old, her name is Hermione. I wanted to thank you for your guidance in talking it through with me when I called into the radio show. You advised me not to be afraid to get a puppy. You said the puppy time only lasts a short while and then we’ll have the dog we want for years to come. Since we are both home all day, training will be much easier for us than some. My allergies and restrictions on lifting are the factors that led us to the Cavachon.”

Congratulations, Doris, you and your husband did it the right way. The best way to get a dog is to think about and do some homework and ask some questions. A dog is not a moral imperative, it is a living creature that deserves our thought and consideration, not our egos and self-interest.

It is the dog who suffers the most when people make impulsive or emotional decisions about them. They are the ones who get returned to shelters, made into neurotic and obsessive creatures, end up spending much of their lives in small  yards or basements.

I loved getting that letter, and I loved my radio show in the brief time it was on the air. I knew it would be short-lived, the station was a mess, it was in total chaos.

But what I most loved about it was talking to people like Doris (she stopped by our farmhouse to look at the Little Free Library more than a year ago and I called her over to the fence and we talked, she and her husband are the nicest people. She was surprised to meet us, she never meant to intrude).

I felt I was really able to help people in that format. I got a lot of thanks for the advice I gave.

What I miss about the radio show is getting to talk to people like Doris, to listen to them and understand how to help them. That was the best part of the radio show, and I will miss it.

The radio show led us to start our own podcast. You can get our podcasts by clicking on the yellow button beneath this post or on the “podcast” prompt at the top of the Farm Journal page.

I was very happy  to get this message from Doris. Great luck with Hermione, a great name. The dog is doubly blessed. She gets to live with someone who took the time to get the right dog for herself and her family.

Thanks for calling me, Doris, and for listening. It looks like you did well. Stay in touch.

And the dog lucks out too, she gets a lovely hone  the right people to love her and care for her.