All the Dogs

This past week, I have been babysitting my sister’s puppy. He is a 9 week old German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite possibly the most dapper thing alive--sinewy legs, floppy ears, green eyes, and lion’s paws--yeah I’m in trouble.

I am what you could call a dog enthusiast. I grew up with Akitas as our family pets, but most recently adopted a dog of my own from the humane society. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

Raising a dog can be fucking hell. You basically have to tether them to your abdomen for months so they don’t eat your curtains or shit all over your hand-woven himalayan rug. You drag them to the yard at 4 in the morning grumbling commands they don’t understand, waiting for them to take their sweet ass time to lift a leg. You are optimistic and take them to brunch with your work friends (cause there’s a patio and he needs to be socialized….right?) only to end up walking him around the block when he lunges at a passing Goldendoodle. Or maybe you even wake up one morning, your bed filled with pills from a gnawed through ibuprofin bottle and a sleepy-ass puppy--$300 stomach pup later, you giggle as he swipes your grilled cheese off the counter because you’re so thankful his little tail is still wagging!

Dogs can be a pain in the ass, but somehow they’re worth it. And after adopting Koba, I couldn’t shake the fever to get another pup! I obsessively stalk the local shelter’s websites--even stopping by to meet a dog or two that catches my eye. I have become one of those people who swoon at dogs in public--even the shihtzus.

I kept telling my boyfriend, “Koba needs a buddy,” subtly hinting that he should get a dog to fulfill my crazy dreams. So when my sister called me to double check that I would look after their new addition, I replied,

“Of course I’ll watch Wally while you are in Canada! No problem. In fact, why don’t you bring him over a few days early? Just because I can’t wait to snuggle with him!”

Wrong!

Two young male pups under the same roof are a feisty combo--one that no amount of margaritas and 409 can remedy. The run laps like greyhounds in a living room obstacle course; they dig the same holes under the bushes, they urinate on the same tiles in the kitchen, and then bark like chained up pitbulls at passersby.

But having these two snuggling in bed with me while I write--belly-up and snoring--it seems worth it. Everything is a lesson. Sometimes it takes being overwhelmed to recognize what doesn’t belong.

These past few days has really made me appreciate Koba and the role he plays in my life. I can recognize my desire for wanting more as just a quick fix for somethings I’m avoiding in my present. How did my obsession with having all the dogs take me out of the present or allow me to not focus on patterns that weigh me down? It all comes back to satisfaction. I need to learn to be satisfied with what I have in the present, not look to adding more to my already packed life to fulfill some grumbling void. As for now, I will love on this pup while he is here, and simply be grateful for my own when he is gone.