My young daughter had been asking for a puppy since she began talking. She and I spent time Googling different dog breeds when bored, and ultimately decided a cavalier King Charles spaniel would be our choice. We talked about how much fun it would be. We talked about how great receiving the unconditional love that comes from a dog would be.
Last month, I finally gave in. My 18 year-old son, away at college, said, “How hard can it be, Mom?” He shopped for the carrier crate thing and then picked up the pup from a breeder near his college campus on his way home for a week. The rest was up to me. Easy, he said.
What we failed to talk about as a family is the following stuff. That which makes the experience even more ‘enjoyable.’ Caution: sarcasm may be hard at work here…
1. You love to pick up poop. And you love to pick it up from your indoor floors and the outdoor ‘potty patch’ equally. It’s never-ending. I think our puppy must poop his own weight each day. He’s 10 pounds.
2. You’re not happy being free. You’re kids are old enough that you can just go, anytime, anywhere, for any length of time. No more. Bye-bye freedom. Hello first to leave the party.
3. You love to get up before the sun. You get too much sleep anyway. I’m certain our puppy gets up earlier than either of my children ever did.
4. You love the chewed-on look. Your shoes. Your computer cord. The cord to the vacuum. The coffee table. The rugs. My daughter installed one of her old baby gates across the doorway to her playroom. The puppy can’t get to her things. Only mine.
5. You love vacuuming. What’s more, you love increasing the number of times you vacuum each week. To get rid of the dog hair. But hey, it’s a good work out, right?
All things annoying aside, we do love our new little family member. Have you ever had a cavalier look at you with his sweet puppy eyes? That face. It’s just too damn hard to resist. And harder to get any work done around here.
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