Almost Doggy
Yesterday, I seriously considered getting a dog.
One of the great things about living in a house is that you can have ANIMALS! I did have illegal beta fish in the barracks and my two apartments, but they didn’t satisfy my pet urges. Sure, it was satisfying to watch the fish eagerly swim to the surface and chow down when I fed it, but I wanted an animal I could cuddle. Fish aren’t cuddly.
Soon after we moved into our house, we got Cat. I love cat, but she isn’t too cuddly either. She hates being picked up and will not sit on your lap. I also can’t take Cat on walks, although I am leash-training her. (Mike thinks a leash-trained cat is an absolute abomination.) I have a fenced yard and a place in my heart for a doggy.
Yesterday, on the bulletin board at work, I found a dog, for free. She’s an American Eskimo, just like the dog our family had when I was growing up. We adored our little Eskimo, Portia. I was so excited at the thought of getting another one.
Mike picked me up from work, and on the way home I told him about the dog. He was noncommittal about the whole thing. I asked him if he’d walk it and scoop the poop. He said, “Yes.” Then, I asked him if he would LOVE it, and he just asked me, “What do you want me to say?” I didn’t want to get a dog for myself; I wanted a dog for us. If he didn’t want it, then I didn’t.
As I rode the bus to work this morning, I silently mourned the loss of the pet that almost was. Then…I started thinking about the less fond memories of Portia. For instance, she had a fondness for chewing on the most disgusting things – like used maxi pads, dirty underwear, and, once, poop (not her own). Her long, white fur required monthly grooming, including a butt trim. She bit people. When I pictured my life with the new dog, I imagined snuggles and walks, but also less savory images. I pictured dog shit all over my backyard and my nascent garden dug up. I thought of mud tracked in from the backyard to the house. I imagined the dog shivering and whining in the backyard while I was at work and Mike at school. Finally, Cat would NEVER forgive me.
No dog for me - at least not now. I’ll content myself with leash training the cat and forcing her to snuggle up with me.
One of the great things about living in a house is that you can have ANIMALS! I did have illegal beta fish in the barracks and my two apartments, but they didn’t satisfy my pet urges. Sure, it was satisfying to watch the fish eagerly swim to the surface and chow down when I fed it, but I wanted an animal I could cuddle. Fish aren’t cuddly.
Soon after we moved into our house, we got Cat. I love cat, but she isn’t too cuddly either. She hates being picked up and will not sit on your lap. I also can’t take Cat on walks, although I am leash-training her. (Mike thinks a leash-trained cat is an absolute abomination.) I have a fenced yard and a place in my heart for a doggy.
Yesterday, on the bulletin board at work, I found a dog, for free. She’s an American Eskimo, just like the dog our family had when I was growing up. We adored our little Eskimo, Portia. I was so excited at the thought of getting another one.
Mike picked me up from work, and on the way home I told him about the dog. He was noncommittal about the whole thing. I asked him if he’d walk it and scoop the poop. He said, “Yes.” Then, I asked him if he would LOVE it, and he just asked me, “What do you want me to say?” I didn’t want to get a dog for myself; I wanted a dog for us. If he didn’t want it, then I didn’t.
As I rode the bus to work this morning, I silently mourned the loss of the pet that almost was. Then…I started thinking about the less fond memories of Portia. For instance, she had a fondness for chewing on the most disgusting things – like used maxi pads, dirty underwear, and, once, poop (not her own). Her long, white fur required monthly grooming, including a butt trim. She bit people. When I pictured my life with the new dog, I imagined snuggles and walks, but also less savory images. I pictured dog shit all over my backyard and my nascent garden dug up. I thought of mud tracked in from the backyard to the house. I imagined the dog shivering and whining in the backyard while I was at work and Mike at school. Finally, Cat would NEVER forgive me.
No dog for me - at least not now. I’ll content myself with leash training the cat and forcing her to snuggle up with me.
posted by Kasmira at 3.2.05
3 Comments:
Poor Portia, I can't believe you tainted her memory with that maxi pad bit. What about great she was at singing along with Phantom of the Opera or how good she looked in our home vidoes, even after a night of no sleep? And what's a bloody ankle now and then from a pup you love?
While we love our Dixie, there is NO such thing as a free dog. We often joke about our expensive "free" dog after we buy ANOTHER type of food for her sensitive tummy, or expensive dog class so that she will resemble a non-rotten dog, or after replacing the shoes someone thoughtlessly left out (could've been me).
we just got a dog. for pam & the boy mostly. her name is sara. she is 8 weeks 2 with us.
pam spent 2 months on the web 2 hrs a day researching breads and mixes. this was after 2 years of waiting for the correct situation to be parents. The boy had to be at least 3, and plenty of "pre remodel space for her to be trained, we are both layed off together this winter. the cats have plenty of sanctuary. cats can get to litter/food and dog cant. etc.
a cross bread is less likely to have genetic probs so we got a "a;ldsk x alskjf" pam knows what she is and showed me physical and mental traits before we got her. she is a black and white little cuttie.
we took her to the vet for a checkup and for a herniated belly button. and found she has wringworm wich is a fungas not a worm at all and is contagious to humans yikes. we probably gave her an ear infection from improper bathing of long eared puppy. etc. total 111$ and no shots or spay yet.
we expet our 85$ dog to cost near 1000$ by fall but we were expeting that and we have bugeted for that. so ok.
sara just ate a role of tp.
the jist is that while researching we found that we could have a dog with any characteristics we wanted even those of a cat. we chose one that will be calm smart quiet and about 45 pounds. we will have to put up with a little of the big dog stuff but she can go camping, the dog i agreed to initially would not have spent much time outdoors.
the right dog for you is out there looking for a home.
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