May 8, 2008

I Has A Petdog

It's official: I am a dog owner.

This is not news in a technical sense. but thanks to my angst-filled family history, I don't really bond very well with animals. For years I refused to consider getting a pet because I was scared I'd be like my Mom and neglect/collect/abuse them. But dammit, I was all lonesome. I need something to take care of and keep me out of my own head. Besides, some guys just need to have a dog. I think it's the same with girls and cheesecake, except for the eating part.

So I said "fuck the angst, let's adopt!" and ran with it. For the first 8 months having the Captain, it sucked because of his behavior problems. Emotionally he was aloof and meek in turns. I could take or leave him. Gradually we settled into a routine and he started to mellow out a little. I reserved judgment on whether I should even keep him at points, and was plagued by a constant sense of buyer's remorse. I would periodically conjure up scenes of him getting hit by a car or getting old and dying to test myself, and it didn't really seem like that much of a disaster. I figured that the day I cringed and feared for his safety would be the day he became my dog.

Well, the little fucker has won me over. For the past few months he's started seeking out affection from his humans. He obeys most of the time, and he hardly ever becomes Pee Dog when emotionally overwhelmed. Most importantly, he lays his head on me and sighs when he's about to go to sleep. He's developing quirks and personality and he does funny things to amuse us all.

The squeeing in our household does not stop.

So this is my official declaration for those of you who've been listening to me pramble on about how I wasn't sure yet if we were a good fit: Mission Accomplished. Today I read a story about somebody's old dog getting put to sleep and was totally bummed out by the idea that it will happen to the Captain someday.

Little bastard took his time, but he finally has his hooks in me.

I still beat him mercilessly from time to time, to make sure he doesn't think he's completely in charge, but yeah. I'm glad I got him.

I'm also glad puppies don't stay puppies forever. Eeeesh!

2 comments:

  1. I'm the same way with my dog. For the first almost year that we had her, I absolutely hated her guts. She was a lot of trouble and it was too much to handle for me as a first-time dog owner who was completely incompetent (and probably still is) when it comes to dogs. but I have to say the little sucker has grown on me, now that she's grown up a bit. but she's still my baby girl, and I coddle and coo at her like crazy, and she is almost attached to me at the hip. which is how I know she's now my dog, instead of just "my mom's dog I have to take care of because she's never around".

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  2. My experience was similar--my dog was already grown when I got her, but whoever had her before me didn't teach her crap for manners. I considered getting rid of her several times because of her behavior, but she always won me over by her sense of devotion and how cuddly she is.

    She finally made the adoption irreversible one day when some strangers decided they were going to start shit--and all I did was put a hand on Shai's collar and she started snarling at them. I didn't even look, but out of the corner of my eye I could see all three of them turn around, in tandem, like choreographed dance, and walk back across the street. Hahaha!

    SCORE EVERYTHING FOR DOG, score nothing for meth dealing/panhandling loser scum.

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