When Maya Became Mine
I’ve considered getting a dog ever since I moved out of my parents house in 2018. At the end of 2021, I almost sent a nonrefundable deposit for a sweet golden doodle boy in Pennsylvania. Yet the timing really wasn’t right until a few months into 2022. I’d just gotten a new job with more work-from-home flexibility, I’d signed a contract for a new construction condo in Franklin (where my job was), and I felt like I’d just lost my best friend and didn’t want to go back to focusing only on me. I needed a buddy.
Choosing My Pup
My mom bought me the Goldendoodle Handbook and I read through that, preparing for when I would bring home my new best friend even though I didn’t know who he/she was yet. I scoured breeder websites, but everything was either available 4 months away or was a 4 hour drive away. And I was willing to do that, but I was about to invest a lot of money into this and really wanted to be able to meet my investment before spending all of the money. One day, I don’t even remember how it happened, but I stumbled onto the Facebook page of Music City Goldendoodles in Nashville. They had a few pups still available in a just-born litter, so I reached out asking what the next steps were. Turns out, this breeder was heaven sent. I got to meet Maya before sending in the deposit. And actually, Maya was my second pick. My first pick got chosen by someone ahead of me in line. Finally, I received confirmation from the breeder that Maya was mine and I sent her the nonrefundable deposit. I got more excited than I possibly ever have been. The dream I’d had for a few years was now becoming reality. I’d put in the work, the research, and I still would keep preparing until I actually got to bring her home in May. In the meantime, the breeder had puppy play dates on Sunday afternoons. And I will forever cherish the pictures I have of her during those weeks of waiting. Even from those early weeks, I got a sense of her personality. Independent. Just like her new human mother. What a pair we will be.
Taking Her Home
Finally, the day came when I got to take her home. I’d read the Golden Doodle handbook and the Dog Whisperer’s book “How to Have the Perfect Puppy”. I had her bed all ready, her food bought, toys in her basket, a wagon to carry her around in, a crate for when I wasn’t home, and when we got there Maya was waiting for me all bathed and fluffy in the backyard. When the breeder handed her to me, I tried to shove down the nervousness and excitement so that she would only sense calm energy from me. The breeder discussed some final logistics with us after I paid for baby girl, and then we took her to my car. Per the book, I tried to get her to get into the car by herself, but she was so little and the car so tall for her, I had to give in and set her in her little car seat. She was just so small and looked so scared and lost. She did so good on the car ride home though. Only whined a little bit and otherwise was just quiet and taking it all in. I just kept talking to her and singing to her. Even through the rainy traffic, she was surprisingly patient.
Crossing the Threshold
When we got home, she peed in the grass like a pro. Then I carried her up the three flights of stairs to my apartment and led her down the hallway. I opened the door, walked inside, then waited for her to follow me. She wasn’t sure at first, but she eventually came inside and received lots of praise for doing so well. Then it was time for her to explore the kitchen and living room area. When I showed her her bed in the living room, she immediately sensed it was for her, climbed onto it and laid down. The sweetest smartest girl. We played a bit with her little buddy (what I called her white stuffed dog that had spent time with her and her siblings so that she would have their scent with her in a new place). Eventually, mom left and it was just me and Maya. We were both tired, so we watched some tv. She fell asleep on me and I already could feel us bonding.
You may be wondering why her name is Maya. Or, you may not be wondering at all, but I’d like to tell you anyways. Maya means “from God.” And while she laid with me on the couch our first night together, I knew that God truly gave her to me. He knew I needed her, more than she ever needed me.