It is generally known that having a baby “changes everything”. But what about a dog?
We began thinking about having a dog after we had our third child. Dave had been pushing for a dog since we were married. But as I am the primary child carer, I stood firm with the opinion that I couldn’t manage to take care of babies and a puppy. It was my excuse to hold off having a dog. However, it was mainly excuse to avoid owning a dog.
You see, I don’t actually like dogs. Any pets really. Their smell. Hair. Slobber. Destruction. Ties. Responsibility. Poo. Pee. I can handle a child that has all the same components. But not an animal.
Growing up, we had various animals. Ten outdoor cats. A turtle we found at the zoo. A baby bunny we found abandoned in our garage. A hamster that we accidentally froze by leaving it outside in the cold. Parakeets that spit seeds. And we even had a dog called Lucky. The poor cocker spaniel didn’t last long in our house. His habit of peeing every time a guest came over (of which we had many) got him kicked out. Not so lucky. Yet, it was primarily my sister, Hannah, that gave all these little beasts affection. I tolerated them.
Fast forward to our present-day discussion of whether or not to have a dog. We have three boys. Dave and I both work part-time jobs. We have between three and four schools runs a day. Enjoy seeing friends. Like being busy. However, given all these reasons NOT to have a dog, I was convinced by begging little eyes to consider the idea.
No one prepares you for the utterly draining process of finding a puppy that will fit your family. Firstly, do you rescue a dog or buy a puppy? From a breeder or from a family? What health checks should they have had? Which breed would fit our family best? How far are we willing to travel to collect him? What are the parents like? What is their temperament? Honestly, the questions are unending. I overwhelmed the family of our potential future puppy so much that they backed out of letting us have our little black Labrador (although, I do admit, I was annoying her relentlessly with my emails).
Finally, we found a Golden Labrador that we thought would be perfect for our family. We took a family road trip to see her for the first time. And were immediately besotted by her gentle nature. She was shy. But her mother warmed to us immediately, which we thought to be a good sign of how our girl would be.
We left her for another week as we prepared our house. Quickly acquiring dog food, dogs, a crate, a bed, feeding bowls, and poo bags. We read three books by Cesar Milan on training a dog. We made a Word Document about our house rules for the dog. We explained to the boys how they should act around her when we brought her home. We felt ready.
But nothing prepared us for bringing her home (sounding like bringing a baby home). We had expected a jumpy, energetic puppy. Instead, our little Annie (named after my grandma), cowered in her crate for 3 days. She shook when we took her outside to pee. She ran away each time we came close. She didn’t want to engage with our boys. Had we made the wrong decision? Did we choose the right dog? Is this how she would be forever? We were completely devastated. In no way is that a dramatic description.
After searching online forums for hours, I found hope in the fact that others had similar experiences when they first brought their dogs home. Slowly, Annie warmed to us. She became playful and cuddly.
But she took over our lives for 2 months. Potty training just about killed me. Constantly watching her for signs that she needed to pee or poo. And then rushing her outside (along with my human baby) to teach her where to do her business in dark, the rain, the cold, etc. Cleaning up messes. Enduring the smells. I hate to think back on the potty training days.
Then the chewing. She chewed, and continues to chew, everything. Our baby and Annie share toys now. Furniture. Carpet. Phones (!!!!). Instruments. Anything she could get her teeth into, she did.
And the walks. The girl had a lot of excitement, combined with a lot of muscle. Which meant she nearly ripped our shoulders out of sockets pulling us on the lead. She was walking us. The walks we had planned to be relaxing and therapeutic were stressful and frustrating.
But for all of her difficult moments. All of the things I dislike about her. All of the cleaning up after her. It is all worth it. I have been converted to an Annie lover. Not a dog lover, but an Annie lover. I love her cuddles. Love her companionship. Love taking her on walks (now that we have heel trained her). Love how she plays with our boys. Love how she finds life so exciting. Love being greeted by her in the morning. Love her sad eyes. Love how she sits at my feet whilst I cook. Love how she follows me into each room.
I adore her. Can a dog change your life? Most definitely.
Great story! new adventure... It will be all good in time. It remembered me of our dog. We had to bring her to sleep last year. That was incredibly sad! We had so much trouble with her. But yet: https://theworldaroundmytable.com/four-things-weve-learned-from-our-dog-vanda/