For several months now, I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of adopting a dog. I moved to a new house in May with a pretty sizable fenced-in yard, which has prompted more than one well-meaning friend and family member to ask, “So, when are you getting a dog?” My interest in adopting one only increased every time someone asked.
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But I’ve had my hesitations. For one, I’ve never owned a dog before. I don’t know much about what they do or need or how they act. I’ve been around dogs, and I’ve pet-sitted several times, but it’s different when it’s your dog. I was nervous I would mess it up.
Plus, we got a cat, Astronomer (Murr), not too long ago, and while he has adjusted so well, he is still learning that he won’t be abandoned. I didn’t want to upset him, and that was my biggest concern.
But maybe no parent ever feels completely ready. Fast forward to last week, when we stumbled across an adoption ad on Facebook for a local shelter. And, well…Sometimes, when you know, you know.
“Let’s just go meet him,” my partner suggested.
Big mistake. Reader, never go into a shelter unless you’re willing to walk out with an animal. It’ll break your heart otherwise.
We took the dog — a puppy, really — outside and played with him and let him sniff and lick our palms and, well…You can guess what happened next. We loaded him into the car (he’s huge; it took both of us lifting him up) and took him home.
But he’s doing such a good job already! Named Kevin, the puppy is learning his way around the house. He is learning that Murr is not to be messed with; Murr has already asserted his dominance. He is learning that “go bye-bye” means “we’re taking a car ride” and “go outside” is code for “please don’t pee in my house.”
I was left alone with Kevin for a few hours after we got him, and it was like babysitting a newborn. I had no idea what to do. But miraculously, we both survived it.
I’ve learned a lot about dogs in the past week. For one, they are gross. Kevin is a slobbery mess and he often tracks mud in the house. Two, I already have more mosquito bites than I’ve ever had in my life from taking him outside, including the 1 a.m. wakeup we did last night.
Three, dogs require a lot of training and attention. We have rules for Kevin that we never put in place for Murr. Murr gets treats freely. Kevin has to earn them with commands like “sit” and “come.”
When we got our cat, Murr was already 5 and had come from an animal cruelty situation. He wasn’t going to learn something new. He just needed to be snuggled and cuddled and taught that he was home now.
But apparently dogs are different, especially puppies. We have big plans for Kevin. We want to train him and teach him basic obedience, especially because he is going to get big and we need him to listen to us. We want to socialize him so he does well around other people and animals. We want him to be able to walk on a leash so we can take him with us to farmers’ markets and treat him to pup cups.
And, because he is a puppy, he doesn’t know any of that. He is still learning that he’s allowed to play with his toys. He was found dumped on a farm, picked up by animal control a few days before we took him home, so I really don’t know what his situation was like beforehand. I know he’s very nervous and he doesn’t really know basic words yet. I know he is a gentle giant. I know I love him dearly.
Kevin and Murr are doing well together. Last night, they united over an intruder in the house (a firefly) and worked together to traumatize that poor bug until I realized what was up and took it outside. I like to think Mur and Kevin will quickly become friends. I can picture them snuggled up together, and I can’t wait for that to come true.
In the meantime, we will be teaching Murr and Kevin that they are both loved and safe. That’s parenthood.
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