Well, I finally went of and did it.
I have been a dog person for my entire life. I get really attached to my dogs and have experienced two tragedies that took a toll on me but not nearly as much as having to put Odie (a lab mix that was rescued from the back row [when she was rescued the newer arrivals were brought in and placed in the front rows and when a dog reached the back row, if they were not adopted within 2 days, they were put down] and was the family pet for 16 years) down due to old age and I could not stand to see her suffer any longer. I took it pretty hard as she allowed me to lead her into the vets office and had full trust in me and she died in my arms.
......and then there was Mitzi. You might recall her she was my avatar for a full season and each game the Lions lost, she got another band aid from my supposed rage and "kicking the dog". We only had her for about 9 years but she had to be put down because she developed cancer and after two surgeries and $1300. in vet bills with no improvement in her condition, it was time to put her down also.
........anywho. Tailgunner has been bugging me for a dog since he was 15. He is 19 now. Earlier it was too soon for me to get another dog because putting the two down within 9 months of each other took an emotional toll on me that I was not ready to reinvest in another family member only to have to play god.
He has been relentless in continuing to ask for a dog and he has been thoroughly schooled on the responsibilities of being a pet owner as well as the costs involved. He has gained my confidence that he is capable of caring for, cleaning up after, and paying for the costs involved in owning a pet.
On a whim because there was nothing else to do at work and tailgunner had come in to help out, he talked me into taking a trip to the local Humane Society just to see if they had any puppies.
Well, they had a full house of dogs that were 6 months and older but really no puppies.
We both immediately became attached to a 6 month old hound mix that had one blue eye (they called it blue, it looks white to me, kinda like that of a husky or malmute) and one brown eye. She was smart, eager to get some attention, and even when we reached to pull out the sheet that has all of the poop on her, she would try to lick our hands through the glass.
Well, tailgunner talked me into having them allow us to visit with her in one of their "get aquainted" rooms and, boom! I fell in love with her.
That was yesterday. Today we went to adopt her (past experience has been that you adopt the pup, they neuter them, you pick them up two days later). Unexpectedly we walked out the door with her.
I am once again a dog owner (although technically it is tailgunners dog, it was explained to him she is also a family dog) and am getting ready to go through the process of housetraining and teaching her good manners.
Admittedly, I have no doubt that tailgunner will be doing a lot of the training as he has gained a ton of experience with dogs from his girlfriends family, however, Dad has rules that dogs live by and I have no doubt this will end up being a wonderful pet and companion.
It has not fully settled in with tailgunner yet but I am very much looking forward to the companionship of mans best friend again.
I have been a dog person for my entire life. I get really attached to my dogs and have experienced two tragedies that took a toll on me but not nearly as much as having to put Odie (a lab mix that was rescued from the back row [when she was rescued the newer arrivals were brought in and placed in the front rows and when a dog reached the back row, if they were not adopted within 2 days, they were put down] and was the family pet for 16 years) down due to old age and I could not stand to see her suffer any longer. I took it pretty hard as she allowed me to lead her into the vets office and had full trust in me and she died in my arms.
......and then there was Mitzi. You might recall her she was my avatar for a full season and each game the Lions lost, she got another band aid from my supposed rage and "kicking the dog". We only had her for about 9 years but she had to be put down because she developed cancer and after two surgeries and $1300. in vet bills with no improvement in her condition, it was time to put her down also.
........anywho. Tailgunner has been bugging me for a dog since he was 15. He is 19 now. Earlier it was too soon for me to get another dog because putting the two down within 9 months of each other took an emotional toll on me that I was not ready to reinvest in another family member only to have to play god.
He has been relentless in continuing to ask for a dog and he has been thoroughly schooled on the responsibilities of being a pet owner as well as the costs involved. He has gained my confidence that he is capable of caring for, cleaning up after, and paying for the costs involved in owning a pet.
On a whim because there was nothing else to do at work and tailgunner had come in to help out, he talked me into taking a trip to the local Humane Society just to see if they had any puppies.
Well, they had a full house of dogs that were 6 months and older but really no puppies.
We both immediately became attached to a 6 month old hound mix that had one blue eye (they called it blue, it looks white to me, kinda like that of a husky or malmute) and one brown eye. She was smart, eager to get some attention, and even when we reached to pull out the sheet that has all of the poop on her, she would try to lick our hands through the glass.
Well, tailgunner talked me into having them allow us to visit with her in one of their "get aquainted" rooms and, boom! I fell in love with her.
That was yesterday. Today we went to adopt her (past experience has been that you adopt the pup, they neuter them, you pick them up two days later). Unexpectedly we walked out the door with her.
I am once again a dog owner (although technically it is tailgunners dog, it was explained to him she is also a family dog) and am getting ready to go through the process of housetraining and teaching her good manners.
Admittedly, I have no doubt that tailgunner will be doing a lot of the training as he has gained a ton of experience with dogs from his girlfriends family, however, Dad has rules that dogs live by and I have no doubt this will end up being a wonderful pet and companion.
It has not fully settled in with tailgunner yet but I am very much looking forward to the companionship of mans best friend again.
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