Peace of Mind Organizing

Instant gratification vs. the joy of anticipation

16 November 2015

My husband and I are getting a standard poodle puppy on December 13. Our beloved poodle, Kirby, passed away on March 1 and since then, for the first time in 23 years, we’ve been living without at least one poodle in our family.

I’m delighted that’s about to change. (I was ready before Barry.) In September, after much deliberation, we made the decision to buy a poodle puppy from a responsible breeder and we contacted Kirby’s breeder. It was interesting timing. She had a litter about to go to their new families and a puppy buyer had fallen through. She offered us the opportunity to buy a puppy immediately. And she said that she wouldn’t be breeding again for awhile, so she gave us the name of a breeder she has mentored, who had had a breeding just a few weeks before. (That breeder is Dianne Janczewski of Clifton Standard Poodles.)

At that moment, we had to decide whether we would buy one of puppies immediately available or wait until December for our puppy (or much later, if that breeding didn’t result in a pregnancy). It was a tough decision, but we decided to wait.

I am so glad we did! We found out in late September that there was a pregnancy and from that point forward I’ve been enjoying putting plans into place for this puppy. (That’s a picture of our puppy or one of his littermates at the age of four weeks.) I’ve made travel arrangements (I’ll be picking him up in Virginia) and a veterinary appointment. I’ve signed up for puppy kindergarten (and gone to a no-dogs-allowed introductory class). I’ve purchased and read puppy training books to refresh my knowledge. This week I’m going to shop for some puppy supplies.

And I’ve enjoyed the freedom of being dog-less, knowing that as soon as the puppy arrives my husband and I will be sleep-deprived and home bound.

If we had taken the route of instant gratification, we would have missed out on all the fun anticipation. Ours lives would have been turned upside down as we scrambled to get the supplies together and arrangements made. We would have been stressed and the puppy probably would have been stressed as well. (Granted, we would have been house training in September, rather than December, but that’s a trade off I’m willing to make.)

For my personality, careful planning and anticipation is part of the enjoyment of something new. It can be hard to delay gratification but often, as in this case, it pays off.

Tagged with: dogs, pets, planning

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