Getting a dog will change your life… I was told.
For those of you who don’t know, put simply, I’m just NOT an obvious dog person. A friend once challenged me: I honestly don’t think you love my dog AND, worse than that, I’m sure you don’t understand why I love her. A bit embarrassed, I laughed – because she was absolutely right. There was nothing in me which could love a dog. Nor another child. Nor another man, for that matter. I’m totally done in with loving and caring and giving. (But that’s another story).
So imagine the reaction when we carefully talked and thought through this plan and decided that yes, we were going to open up our home to a canine dependant.
2 weeks in, I’m slowly getting the picture. While the downstairs of our home now undeniably smells of DOG, and I’m often found freezing outside begging this little mite to wee/poo plus I’ve picked up more done-deeds off my kitchen floor than I’d care to count and I’ve found teeth marks in everything from cushions to children’s arms … I’m feeling this curious, warm, fuzzy feeling. What is this? Is this IT?
Aside from pet insurance, vaccines, food, toys, training pads…. KITCHEN ROLL (I feel perhaps we should have made a tactical financial investment into the most absorbent of brands) … the emotional investment is also significant. Completely determined not to make this a dog-child, I’m resisting any temptation to over-indulge and yet there’s a squeaky toy everywhere I put my foot and at least one housemate hovering to stroke his belly.
Of course it’s still early days and I do occasionally (often at 6am) feel that we’re barking mad, but the moment you see his little furry face, those searching eyes oozing limitless optimism and that unconditional love, right then and there I know we’ve done the right thing.
Ziggy Star Dog
