Life with a Dog

When I thought of getting a dog, which I’ve done frequently over the past year, I thought of a German Short-haired Pointer or a Doberman mix.  I wanted a dog that would run with me in the pre-dawn hours and provide protection on backpacking trips in the backcountry.  The fates aligned and bought me a rescue, Lucky.  Lucky is a Chihuahua mix (I think with Miniature Pinscher based on his long legs and pointy snout).  Had I seen Lucky on the adoption websites, I would have passed him up without a second glance.  That’s a rat, not a dog.  I still feel that way when we’re taking our evening walk.  I can’t exactly count on him to discourage an ill-intentioned aggressor.

Lucky was found running the street by one of my coworkers when she almost ran him over.  The shelter asked her to foster him until the owners showed up to claim him.  They never surfaced.  She and her family tried to keep him, but there was so much internal debate in their household about him that it proved to be more trouble than it was worth.  The kids were all allergic to him, and her husband was hesitant to let him stay from the beginning.  Six months after they adopted him, they were ready to surrender him.  I volunteered early in the period of unrest to take him in.  I’d already begun looking for adoption online again when she came to me and told me that they were ready to give Lucky away.

From the first day, my routine was forever changed.  I’ve traded my early morning coffee while watching the news for coffee while taking a freezing cold stroll outside.  I’ve traded my gym bag for dog treats, toys and miscellaneous supplies.  I’ve traded my nightlife for hiking and puppy play dates.  On weekday evenings I pack two lunches.

The thing I miss most is sleeping in.  As I write this my eyes are dry and burning from a combination of too much time reading the screen and needing more sleep.  The only quiet time I have to read, watch a movie or catch up on news and emails is in the evening while Lucky is fast asleep in his bed.  While I’m at work in the office he naps next to my desk, readying himself to prance and play when I take him out every few hours.  The need to simplify my life is more pressing than ever.  Basically I’m exhausted.