Man's Best Friend

I never had a pet. The only animals I was exposed to belonged to other people. My brother had a couple of tarantulas, but we've never even had so much as a goldfish. Hubs never had a pet, but for his sister's cat. I am not a cat person. I never thought I was a dog person. My friends' dogs would come to me wanting to be petted and loved. I did not share that love, so I would push them away. When Hubs and I discussed pets before we married, we both agreed a pet was not something we wanted. Adopting a dog was never something we thought we would ever do.

Adoption Day!

Some might find it odd that the passing of two of my sisters' dogs would result in me desiring a dog. My sisters had had their dogs for a really long time, and I cried with them when the dogs died. I couldn't help but think that those dogs had really good homes. They were loved by their families, and they loved their families back. They were good sweet dogs. These two events touched me, so when I saw some puppies for sale on Facebook, I became dog hungry. I ached for something to love and that would love me back without exceptions. Short story even shorter, a few days later, Hubs and I adopted a dog, Victor. He's a two year old schnoodle, a schnauzer/poodle mix. Hubs and I are fortunate that we found him only a few days after he was surrendered to the shelter. He was so new his neutering incision still had to heal (that was not a fun thing to deal with).

Victor has been with us for almost five months now, still alive. Which is amazing because being first time dog owners, or "pet parents", we have no clue what we are doing. Our learning and training skills come from YouTube videos, Cesar Milan shows, and various websites. We are lucky that Victor had good training before we got him, so mainly it is learning what he knows. He knows a great deal, and Victor is mischievous enough that I am sure he takes advantage of our ignorance. In these five months though, Victor has become not "just a dog" to us. He is part of our family.

Don't leave me!!

It has been delightful to watch Victor's personality show itself. When we brought him home, he was so shy and hesitant. Now Victor is this energetic dog that loves to play keep-away all day and charge up and down the stairs. I would say that Victor is a typical dog that does typical dog stuff. He barks, sometimes growls, at young boys and flirts with the girls, cowers from our next door neighbor, and is super excited around kids. He loathes baths, loves walks, and loves to eat. He is smart and curious, so he wants to explore everywhere and everything. Snow, Hubs discovered, is something in which he enjoys running around. Odd because he does not like rain. Our home is littered with dog toys, yet he still wants to chew on our socks and underwear.

 As each day passes we bond with him a little more. Victor is my sweet boy. He is always ready to give kisses, but he growls when he feels he is being ignored. He loves going everywhere with us and is so sad if we leave him behind. Taking Victor on walks has been entertaining to say the least. The boy cannot walk in a straight line. He zigs zags. Just when you think he will walk straight, he takes a sudden 90 degree turn, or he will suddenly stop dead in his tracks and won't budge. Consequently, I have stepped on his paws, tripped over him, or leaped ungracefully. All the websites say to start walking a different direction when the dog gets ahead of you to teach the dog to stay at your side. I tried doing this for over an hour one day (the recommended practice is 15 minutes). Victor never showed any progress and got so irritated that he just laid down and refused to budge. Ergo, I've given up trying to keep him at my side when on a walk, he follows his nose and while he doesn't tug much anymore, he still walks ahead. Cesar Milan might say that I am not being the alpha, but there really is no rhyme or reason to where his nose leads him. Plus, he will follow my lead with gentle tugs, so I am not worried.

Victor begs for food in the kindest ways.

Although there are challenges to owning a dog, like the cost of food, grooming and toys, or finding places to put things out of the way of their jaws, there are so many more rewards. The most important of which is that Victor loves. He does not care if I don't wear makeup on the weekends, or if my nose is crooked. He loves me anyway. Victor does not care if Hubs wears his pj's all day, or doesn't trim his toenails. Hubs is loved. Victor is not going to judge us for any of that. He will judge on how we treat him. Victor, without hesitation, trusts his life to be in our hands. I love the way Victor returns our affections. My favorite is when my 21 pound dog thinks he belongs in my lap and plops down and takes a nap. I can't breathe very well, but knowing he is comfortable enough with me to do so is an honor.

I never thought I would ever own a dog. Until now. I never thought I would come to love a dog as much as I love our Victor. Until now. I never thought that a dog could ease away some sorrows of life. Until now. Until now, I never thought a dog could ever make me happy.

I love you, Victor!

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." Roger Caras