What I’ve Learned From My Puppy
There wasn’t supposed to be a dog in my life. Then I unexpectedly found out what I’d been missing when Gucci arrived five months ago, a one-pound black hairball stuffed in my wife’s neckline. All the years of resistance and rationale melted when she saw that starburst white face, the little nose and round eyes of a cartoon dog, and the ears of an Ewok. Now she’s fully grown but less than five pounds and will forever look like a puppy.
She is a “designer breed”, a purposely mixed mating between a teacup Maltese and a Pomeranian. My stepdaughter acquired a Yorki-poo at the same time and they often play together. How wonderful to have a puppy who is gentle, quiet yet full of spirit, and hypoallergenic! She is in my office most days and many of you know her personally.
She was born three days after my latest grandchild, my seventh, but unlike them she isn’t hours away by car or plane but here in my life, my space, my heart. I’ve had to re-learn what new parents all experience: the unconditional love and hard work, the reading of subtle sounds and body language, the moments of pure joy and the anxiety of vaccinations, injuries (one trip to the emergency room already), the challenge of toilet-training, vet’s bills, and above all the responsibility of caring for a little package of life so totally dependent on you. A friend said recently after meeting her that a dog is the only animal that prefers the company of another species to its own.
Parents often ask about dogs and children. Generally it’s best to wait until all the kids are 6 or more. That’s because younger children may abuse the dog, won’t help care for it, and you have enough to do already! However, these days people often have pets before kids and that’s manageable too. Cats are more of a problem because they cause more allergies and infections and tend to get jealous of babies whereas dogs usually are protective. It is true that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s; I’m glad because Gucci would have licked me to death by now.