Growing up, my family could never keep a dog. By that I mean we would adopt a dog from the shelter, dog would be expected to be trained already, dog wasn't, and left alone, our house would look like this when we returned:
dog would be returned to shelter or given away, usually after I'd had enough time to get attached.
In turn, I'd always wanted a dog. But I still couldn't seem to acquire one. I lived at school, I lived in an apartment that didn't allow dogs, blah blah. I tried to fill my void of doggage with smaller animals:
Thumper
Budgie
Muffin
Not to downplay my furry and feathery companions, but they just didn't have the same kind of interaction I craved. I'm allergic to cats. I'd never considered myself a "cat person," but desperate times called for desperate measures. Even though my current apartment didn't accept non-caged animals, I figured the landlord RARELY came around, and a coworker's barn cat had just had kittens. What could it hurt to look! Little did I know I'd end up with this blue-eyed cutie
Pickles
So when I moved in with my Dad and stepmother, Olga, getting a dog was on the agenda, moreso for them than me, but I wasn't objecting. After much deliberation, a Saint Bernard was decided upon as its Olga's favorite dog and she'd had one when she was younger. At first, when we got the pup, she took up 100% of all of our time. She was more trouble than enjoyment for a few weeks, and after weeks of cleaning up pee and getting no signs of love back, I secretly and kind of regretfully was admitting to myself, "Wow, a cat is much easier, don't have to clean up it's excrement (in the same way) and I still get to pet and play with a furry animal with more social ability than a rodent." Was this having a dog? Was I mislead as a child thinking that having a dog was actually enjoyable? Was I really going to grow up being a crotchety old lady with 60 cats on an episode of Animal Hoarders!?
It was discovered that the pup had a bladder infection, and not only was it harder for her to learn to go outside, she was also in pain and not really being able to put her efforts into love. A few weeks later, after some medication and more training, she is the most lovable puppy. I can now honestly understand how some people say dogs are better than people.
Mango
dog would be returned to shelter or given away, usually after I'd had enough time to get attached.
In turn, I'd always wanted a dog. But I still couldn't seem to acquire one. I lived at school, I lived in an apartment that didn't allow dogs, blah blah. I tried to fill my void of doggage with smaller animals:
Thumper
Budgie
Muffin
Not to downplay my furry and feathery companions, but they just didn't have the same kind of interaction I craved. I'm allergic to cats. I'd never considered myself a "cat person," but desperate times called for desperate measures. Even though my current apartment didn't accept non-caged animals, I figured the landlord RARELY came around, and a coworker's barn cat had just had kittens. What could it hurt to look! Little did I know I'd end up with this blue-eyed cutie
Pickles
So when I moved in with my Dad and stepmother, Olga, getting a dog was on the agenda, moreso for them than me, but I wasn't objecting. After much deliberation, a Saint Bernard was decided upon as its Olga's favorite dog and she'd had one when she was younger. At first, when we got the pup, she took up 100% of all of our time. She was more trouble than enjoyment for a few weeks, and after weeks of cleaning up pee and getting no signs of love back, I secretly and kind of regretfully was admitting to myself, "Wow, a cat is much easier, don't have to clean up it's excrement (in the same way) and I still get to pet and play with a furry animal with more social ability than a rodent." Was this having a dog? Was I mislead as a child thinking that having a dog was actually enjoyable? Was I really going to grow up being a crotchety old lady with 60 cats on an episode of Animal Hoarders!?
It was discovered that the pup had a bladder infection, and not only was it harder for her to learn to go outside, she was also in pain and not really being able to put her efforts into love. A few weeks later, after some medication and more training, she is the most lovable puppy. I can now honestly understand how some people say dogs are better than people.
Mango
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