My wife and I have a puppy. Her name is Kitty and she’s fierce! You can see by the video below that even at ten weeks old she’s able to terrify a herd of deer. The tension on her leash was so tight that keeping her from ripping it out of my hand was much like trying to land a 200lb catfish.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a new puppy. I forgot how much work that it can be. There’s reason babies and puppies are so cute. It keeps us from killing them long enough so they can wind themselves around our heart strings to such a point that once we realize what a pain in the ass they are if we kill them we kill ourselves.
I love it when I come home and she’s so excited to see me that she can barely remain upright. Her love for me is completely unconditional. If I locked her in a trunk for an hour and let her out she’d be ecstatic to see me. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t get that reaction from my wife, and she married me. I only have to go outside for 15 minutes and walk back in the door, she rolls around at my feet, and squirms and wiggles her hind end like I’ve been missing in the forest for a year. My wife just asks me what I forgot to take with me.
I’ve always been critical of pet owners. I’m an avid cyclist and runner and when I go out on the trail it’s a tossup of whether I’ll be eaten by a bear or mauled by an unleashed canine. Between the lack of attention given to most pets and the lack of consideration of pet owners to pick up after their animals, most of the trails that start in the city look and smell like a city dog pound. We’re doing our best not to be one of those people.
We’re trying to be responsible pet owners. We are teaching our puppy trail etiquette, and trying to socialize her with people and other animals so she doesn’t attack them and rip them to pieces when she sees them…you know…like the deer in the video. We have leashes for walking, leashes for running, water bowls for hiking, food packets, and a first aid kit just in case she stubs and pad. We’re also trying to make sure she has all the shots she needs. She even has her own medical insurance. To be honest, our puppy gets better access to healthcare than we do!
There’s also no lack of advice we get on how to train and treat our puppy. Do we use corporal punishment, or treats. How should we bathe them, feed them, what vet do we go to, how often should we walk to dog, what food should they eat, don’t spoil them, don’t coddle, put them in their own kennel, have them sleep with you, don’t have them sleep with you, let them roam the house, don’t let them roam, the list goes on and on and on. I gets to such a point that I want to tell people “Hey!…I’m not breast feeding her in public, so let it go!
Nor is there any shortage on shame for not going to a shelter to get our dog. You know…how dare you pay $1250.00 for a dog you can train, care for, provide a home, and then buy another $2000.00 in toys and medical care? It’s irresponsible and such a drain on the economy! Really? The pet industry has to be one of the most profitable I’ve ever seen! Not only that with all the money we’ve spent on toys and entertainment for this dog her favorite thing to do is grab all her toys out of her box an then sit in it or drag it across the floor!
We’ve had this puppy for almost a month now and I can tell you that the experiences we have enjoyed from her are some of the best I’ve ever had. My anxiety levels which run about 90 on a scale of 100 have been reduced to below 50. In fact the only downside I can see is not the puppy, but all the advice I get from others. I think it’s like having a baby. Everyone has advice, but few have knowledge. So it’s a good thing she lowers my anxiety levels so much. Otherwise I’d be the one biting people and peeing on their leg.
Rex
