Cora and Delilah are littermates. Same rescue, same foster home, same playpen as puppies. When it came time to decide, I could only keep one. I chose Delilah; you can read about that story here.
As a foster mom, I took my job very seriously. I wasn’t just housing puppies. I was training them in basic obedience and potty training (of course). I was playing with them, monitoring them with other dogs and puppies, noticing their tendencies, and generally trying to teach them to be good citizens: well behaved, confident puppies.
Since I had already adopted Delilah, my goal was to make sure that Loki, Delilah and Cora would all be fine the day that Cora got adopted. I trained everyone individually, and then together as a pack. I walked them individually, and together as a pack. Same with playtime. It was time intensive, but it was fun! I was doing my best to set Cora up to be successful in her new home. But I knew she was special. There was something about her that I understood deeply.
Getting to Know Cora
Cora has always been a smart girl. She loved training as a puppy (still does!). On top of that, she’s a more independent dog than Delilah. Cora likes a little bit of alone time every day. Her favorite place to get alone time is in the bathroom on the cool tile floor next to the AC vent. If the other dogs are wilding out and the energy is too much for her, she removes herself from the situation, and chills out by herself. I get that. I respect it.
She’s also a little bit of a mystery. She can silently move from liking something one day to never liking it again the next. She’s a little bit moody. She has beef with Sophie (my cat). She absolutely HATES when I take out the trash and starts screaming like a little hyena. (Actually, Delilah does that too…it’s wild…I always wonder if they have trauma around trash because of their time as feral puppies… I don’t know but it’s weird, whatever it is.)
Anyways, Cora’s a pretty solid dog. She just has some personality quirks that keep me guessing. A tiny bit of situational anxiety but nothing worrisome. She passed the Canine Good Citizen test on whim – we took it at a local vendor event with tons of dogs and people around with zero practice. It was all the things we worked on for the first 8 months of her life. I was still impressed with her when she passed it!
So I spent all this time getting Cora ready for adoption, all the while knowing I was madly in love with her. I loved all the perfect things about her, and the imperfect things about her. I envisioned the kind of life I wanted for her, the kind of family I wanted for her. But deep down, I really loved her and wanted to adopt her.
The Rule That Almost Changed Everything
But when I asked, I was rejected. The rescue has rules about not adopting littermates. I’ve read about littermate syndrome, and I know how hard it can be for everyone, especially the dogs. It’s not healthy to have a dog that can’t function without their sibling around. Dogs deserve to be well adjusted, confident, and able to go through their day without having to rely emotionally on another being.
But I knew that I had already been diligently laying the foundation to prevent things exactly like littermate syndrome. All the time spent 1:1 training and playing and walking each dog by themselves not only strengthened my relationship with each dog, it built confidence in each dog.
But I understand why rescues have some of the rules they have. And the last thing I wanted was to start some crap. I agreed to foster to adopt and that’s what I was going to do.
Six Months of Choosing Her Anyway
I advocated for her the best I could. Every potential adopter who came through, I told them the truth. Who she is. What I think she enjoys, doesn’t enjoy, and the kind of person I think she would do really well with, the kind of life I think she’d enjoy. A few of those people were genuinely wonderful, and I was in agreement of the adoption – but they ended up going with different dogs. A few others weren’t the right fit, and I said so. This went on for six months. It was an exercise in intentionality, in me being open and present, and in putting my wants behind what’s best for Cora. But deep down I knew she was already home. It’s why the adoptions weren’t working out.
So I made my case with the rescue again. I outlined all the things I’ve worked with her on, all the reasons why I knew littermate syndrome would never be an issue, what I would do if I noticed any inkling of one of my dogs struggling, and why I thought she was already where she’s supposed to be. They finally agreed.
She’s been here ever since.
A Mystery, and I Mean That With My Whole Heart
Cora is a mystery, and I mean that with my whole heart. She can go months without wanting to play a single game, then some random Tuesday she’s chasing a ball across the yard like she invented fetch. For the last few months she has refused to come in for breakfast until I go outside and give her morning pets first. I don’t know when that started. I have no plans to end it.
Dignified. Gentle. Quietly running everything. That’s Cora. That’s the whole reason this brand has a name.
Why the Brand Has Her Name
I named the business after her for the obvious reason – I love alliteration, and Cora’s Canine Collective has a ring to it. But it’s more than that. Cora is my reminder to listen to my instincts. To keep pushing when my heart tells me something matters. To trust myself even when the logical thing would be to walk away and move on.
She was already in my home. I was already her person. But making it official – struggling through six months of waiting and advocating to make her mine on paper – that took everything I had. And every time I second-guess a decision about this business, every time I wonder if I’m doing the right thing or going in the right direction, I look at her and remember that the things worth having are usually the ones you have to work for.
She didn’t end up with the business named after her by accident. She earned it.
