My husband and I recently took the next step in our relationship.
Our story is the same as many others - we met, we fell in love, we built a house, we got married and so it was time for the inevitable … we adopted a puppy.
Her name is Quinn and she is a one-year-old shepherd/hound/terrier cross from the Northwest Territories.
Her face looks like a German shepherd except she has floppy ears and she is brindle in colour, in other words orange with black stripes - like a tiger.
My husband and I have both had pets all our lives and we rescued a cat, Chester, together five years ago. However, neither of us have ever owned our own dog.
Pets make life better but it is a whole different ball game when the dog is your responsibility and you can’t yell “Mom!” every time they do something bad.
Our pup has already enriched our lives and taught us a number of things. Here are some of those lessons in no particular order:
There will always be fur on every article of my clothing, not matter what steps I take to get it off.
Shoes are a great substitute for chew toys and therefore must be locked away at all times. (This applies to glasses, glasses cases, socks, face clothes, towels and other unmentionables as well).
All stuffed toys must be destroyed.
Cats and dogs only fight like cats and dogs when you are watching; when they think you are not, they are secret friends who cuddle.
It is very easy to fall into the “Crazy woman who posts photos of her puppy to the internet every five minutes” trap. It is advised to try and avoid this if you want to keep your friends.
Any part of the new sod we spent hours laying last fall that can be dug up, will be unless we block it off.
Unconditional love exists.
You can start the relationship with the “No dogs on the bed rule” but there is really no point.
Just because you bought the food, prepared the food and cooked the food doesn’t mean you will get to eat the food.
In a related note, puppy eyes can make even the strongest-willed person give that dog whatever is in their hands.
Again, a similar lesson - we will never eat another meal in peace again.
Vacuuming and dusting is futile.
Everyone and everything that walks by the house must be barked at, repeatedly.
Our days of having a full night sleep without being kicked, licked, stepped on or sat on are over.
You will end up doing things you never thought you would including, going for a walk in a blizzard when it is -30°C and picking up frozen pooh while your neighbours drive by and wave.
I’ve had it wrong my whole life: Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend, her dog is.
If your dog doesn’t like someone, you shouldn’t either.
Dogs will do a trick perfectly for you every time and as soon as another person walks in the room, they look at you with a blank stare.
Dogs and cats are exact opposites in every way.
There is no point spending hundreds of dollars on expensive dog toys because they will inevitably choose to play with an empty water bottle or old sock instead.
And last but not least, Quinn’s time in our life has proven - “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened,” Anatole France.
