Recently a good friend of mine from my home town contacted me for advice on getting a dog. Her family had never had a dog before so she had many misconceptions and questions. During her search for the right dog, she learned many lessons. She had in mind what kind of dog she wanted. She preferred a smaller dog, and wanted a puppy. I asked her to keep her mind open because great dogs come in many sizes and ages and that an older dog that was already housetrained might be the way to go since she didn't have much experience with dogs. My dear friend has virtually no patience, and once she sets her mind on wanting something, she wants it now. I told her if there was ever anything that you should be patient about, it is choosing a dog. This was her first lesson, and probably her hardest one. A few days later I received an excited phone call from her. She said she found a place that had over 30 puppies up for adoption. I wondered what kind of place this was, it wasn't the time of yea