I will start with a little background. I adopted Spencer and Emma from the local pound when they were about 6 weeks old. They are not blood related, but both came into the kill shelter together and were being housed in the same cage. They brought them out as a pair. How can anyone turn down two tiny puppies? They were rolling all over each other. Or better phrased, Spencer was rolling all over Emma. Emma was interested in us. She tottled over to us and fell in love. And I may have been content with taking just Emma. But Spencer had no tail. His whole hind end was swinging back and forth so hard he kept falling down. I thought that alone would provide me with hours of entertainment.
These two were only my second go round with dogs. I grew up with cats. I finally adopted my first dog when I bought my first home. Killian. He was also adopted from the kill shelter as a puppy. Tragically, he was taken from us at less than a year old. He was hit while crossing the road. Killian gave me a taste of what being a dog person could be. He was a typical puppy, a chewer, but very sweet and beautiful.
We lived in the middle of the woods and I felt like we needed to have a dog companion. It made me feel safer. I also thought it was important for the kids. So, within 2 months of Killy's death, we were back at the kill shelter trying to talk ourselves out of taking on two puppies while the attendants were trying to talk us into it.
It was a kill shelter so, the animals that are not adopted in a timely manner are put down. Lord knows, I wanted to take them all. But, I couldn't. Presented with these two tiny, sweet, energetic puppies, what choice did I really have? And so, one week later, began our journey with Emma and Spencer.
Growing up a cat person, I had no idea what I was getting into with two puppies. I had heard about crating and thought it sounded cruel. No way could I stuff animals into a cage. Animals were meant to roam free through the house, where ever they chose to go (remember I was a cat person, an indoor/outdoor cat person at that!). No crates for my puppies!!
What a bad decision on my part. They cried all night as they couldn't get up the stairs because they were too small. They peed and pooped everywhere and walked through it, tracking it all over. No one explained to me that having puppies is just like having babies. I didn't know I was supposed to get up with them in the middle of the night to take them outside to pee. I didn't know they would have felt more secure in a crate. I didn't know!!
To be honest I was a bit ambivalent about these dogs. Killian was my first puppy love. I hadn't finished mourning him when I was taking on these two puppies. And I was also pregnant with baby number 2. Morning sickness and morning dog poop really don't mix. Certainly didn't help me to fall in love with these dogs. Killy was one of my children. Emma and Spencer were just dogs. They had each other, they didn't need me, not like Killian had.
But, I had adopted these mutts. That is a commitment for life, no matter what. So, I was going to do my best, despite my reservations. I was committed. I probably should have been committed, locked away for thinking that I could raise children and dogs simutenoulsy, but come on, other people did it successfully every single day. I was now, by choice, a dog person.
Silly me, dog people are either born or grown, they do not just "choose" to be. Yes, I thought I had that much control. I thought it was going to be that easy. Messy, smelly, but not brain surgery or anything. How naive. And so it begins...
These two were only my second go round with dogs. I grew up with cats. I finally adopted my first dog when I bought my first home. Killian. He was also adopted from the kill shelter as a puppy. Tragically, he was taken from us at less than a year old. He was hit while crossing the road. Killian gave me a taste of what being a dog person could be. He was a typical puppy, a chewer, but very sweet and beautiful.
We lived in the middle of the woods and I felt like we needed to have a dog companion. It made me feel safer. I also thought it was important for the kids. So, within 2 months of Killy's death, we were back at the kill shelter trying to talk ourselves out of taking on two puppies while the attendants were trying to talk us into it.
It was a kill shelter so, the animals that are not adopted in a timely manner are put down. Lord knows, I wanted to take them all. But, I couldn't. Presented with these two tiny, sweet, energetic puppies, what choice did I really have? And so, one week later, began our journey with Emma and Spencer.
Growing up a cat person, I had no idea what I was getting into with two puppies. I had heard about crating and thought it sounded cruel. No way could I stuff animals into a cage. Animals were meant to roam free through the house, where ever they chose to go (remember I was a cat person, an indoor/outdoor cat person at that!). No crates for my puppies!!
What a bad decision on my part. They cried all night as they couldn't get up the stairs because they were too small. They peed and pooped everywhere and walked through it, tracking it all over. No one explained to me that having puppies is just like having babies. I didn't know I was supposed to get up with them in the middle of the night to take them outside to pee. I didn't know they would have felt more secure in a crate. I didn't know!!
To be honest I was a bit ambivalent about these dogs. Killian was my first puppy love. I hadn't finished mourning him when I was taking on these two puppies. And I was also pregnant with baby number 2. Morning sickness and morning dog poop really don't mix. Certainly didn't help me to fall in love with these dogs. Killy was one of my children. Emma and Spencer were just dogs. They had each other, they didn't need me, not like Killian had.
But, I had adopted these mutts. That is a commitment for life, no matter what. So, I was going to do my best, despite my reservations. I was committed. I probably should have been committed, locked away for thinking that I could raise children and dogs simutenoulsy, but come on, other people did it successfully every single day. I was now, by choice, a dog person.
Silly me, dog people are either born or grown, they do not just "choose" to be. Yes, I thought I had that much control. I thought it was going to be that easy. Messy, smelly, but not brain surgery or anything. How naive. And so it begins...
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I love these stories!!!!
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