Thursday, July 3, 2008

puppy love

I am not a dog person.

I have never owned one, nor have I ever been interested in acquiring one. As a little girl the only pets I had were goldfish, chameleons and hamsters (lots of hamsters.) I still have fond memories of the little rascals -- Bob, the goldfish who committed suicide (jumped clean out of that bowl one night); Pete and Repeat, those darling lizards who liked to sleep in my dad's pocket; Lucky the Hamster (my brother won him at school; he did turn out to be lucky, living for five years) Pokey the Hamster, Buster the Hamster. But no dogs. My dad had owned lots of dogs back in the day, but we lived in the suburbs now, not the in the country where he grew up. He said that dogs needed to run, not be kept in a tiny fenced yard. And even though my brother begged, we never had a dog.

My brother is now 45, and he finally got a dog, a black lab, last year. Haley is now a part of our extended family, and though she's a bit much for me to handle, I've definitely grown attached to her. I'm still not a dog person, though. I think it's gross when she licks my face, her tail-wagging-knocking-things-off-the-table-thing drives me mad, and, like all dogs, I think, she smells funny. But I admit I like her well enough.

But now I'm thinking about getting a dog.

I'm not sure why, but I imagine it could have something to do with the "emptier" nest I'm facing. Rachel's married now, and Lauren is following in just over a month. Then it will just be me and the boys. Wow.

Lukie is six now. He's not a baby anymore. Is that what it is? Am I turning into one of those women who gets a dog when what she really wants is a baby?

Oh dear. I don't know. Maybe my maternal intincts are looking for a way to express themselves. Maybe I need someone new to take care of. Maybe I just want to let my parents know that I'm I really an adult now, and I can get a dog if I want to.

Maybe I just think they're cute.

I think the cavapoo is amazing. My son is asking for a a border terrier. My husband says I'm crazy. Any thoughts or advice? Should I be thanking God I don't have a pesky mutt to care for, or should I get a new best friend?

5 comments:

Ginny said...

Get a dog! Of course, I have had them all my life, so that's easy for me to say. However, in my opinion, a dog is like a child-a lot of responsibility-so it is a big decision to make. After owning lots of dogs, and being adopted myself by my latest dog (a border collie mix) my biggest piece of advice is get one that doesn't shed, and doesn't have a naturally stinky odor. Some breeds or mixes are a lot stinkier than others. I had a dog once that was part basset hound and I could bathe her over and over and she would still stink within five minutes of her bath. I also have to vacuum more than once a day because of my border collie (but at least she isn't too stinky). The shedding drives me crazy.

Soul Pockets said...

We have two dogs and the reason we have these dogs is because it was at a time when I wanted a baby. It just so happens that whenever I got a dog I would wind up pregnant. Dogs are great, but they are work. Your used to that. :)

The Buffalo said...

I have no dog comments. Sorry. But I found this today and thought that it might be right up your (blog's) alley...

http://mommylife.net/archives/2008/05/elisabeth_ellio.html

Rachel said...

Argh. mom you totally cannot have a dog! Stick to your principles!

j/k. If you really want one, that's cool. But don't expect me to dog sit. And you better hope Chloe will get along with it.

CJ Sweet said...

I often think I want a dog too, but then I observe my day, or even my week, and realize we don't have the time for a dog right now. Look at your schedule to see if a dog would fit in. My favorite show, even though I don't have a dog right now, is the Dog Whisperer. Watch that show - it will give you a good idea of what owning a dog could be like! http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/