Dog People

I am an unapologetic dog person. In fact, I am proud to say that I love all animals. I don’t kill spiders and I am still working on a way to deter my persistent ants from their seasonal home invasion (so far no luck). I believe that the world is big enough for all living things to peacefully coexist, and I try to live my life with that sentiment in mind.

As much as I love dogs, I openly admit that having a dog in your life can be extremely demanding. Adopting a dog as a single person is even more intense, and it is important to understand the amount of personal sacrifices that you will have to make. These sacrifices are yours alone, and the people that you meet post dog will either get it or get out (in my case). Your time is no longer yours, and one must be prepared to take on the vet bills, walks, accidents and overall chaos that can often become all consuming. I say this not to scare anyone away from adopting, but to make the firm statement that the decision to adopt is profoundly permanent. Your little companion will have accidents, and you will be the one to clean up the mess (figuratively and quite literally). There are the nights that you will long to stay out just a bit longer but can’t because your dog is waiting, patiently, for that last walk. Having a dog changes everything, but more importantly, having a somewhat difficult dog tells you quite a bit about the people in your life. It's easy to love Lassie, but Toby, well Toby is a wonderfully acquired taste.

Toby is not easy. I say that because I live in realty, and understand that my little Toby comes with a some baggage. All dogs (and people for that matter) have issues, but rescues in particular are often faced with extreme trauma and neglect that can take years to recover from. Toby, for example, becomes highly stressed in new environments and doesn’t always respond well to new people. In people terms, Toby has irritable bowel syndrome and releases his stress via, well, you get it. A recent scenario left Toby with a $150 tummy ache and me with the realization that new friends are hard to come by when you have a socially wary pup.

Stomach issues aside, Toby is a quick character judge. You learn a lot about someone when they interact with an animal, and while I have often challenged Toby’s initial prognosis, I must admit that so far he has been spot on. Toby will never jump in your lap and greet you “lab style”, but I think he has an innate sense about people, their intentions and even their character. My close friends understand that Toby is an unmovable fixture in my life, and they have all been patient and persistent in their efforts to pursue their friendship with Toby. I love my friends and family for loving me enough to accept my little Toby and all the quirks that come with him. I get that Toby isn’t easy, and it makes the people who accept him that much greater. To you, friends, Toby thanks you for trying to love him despite the fact that he may not be quite ready to reciprocate. In time we will unpack Toby's heavy and overflowing baggage, but until that day comes I will make it a point to give extra love from the both of us.