I’ve little experience with dogs. I’ve never had a dog of my own. I have friends with dogs, and have had family with dogs, and even briefly had a roommate with two dogs. But I consider myself pretty ignorant when it comes to dogs.
At some point, however, the thought of having a dog myself became appealing. It may have had something to do with my one-night-stand with Sandy the dog. Or perhaps it was all the fun I had playing games with Omaha who, while a cat, some people described as “dog like”. I’m not sure, but I started toying with the idea of having a doggie companion. My cats, on the other hand, were not open to the idea of a doggie companion AT ALL. I used to ask Rumpelmintz if she wanted a dog – she quite emphatically said “no”. Sometimes I’d tell her she could ride it like a pony, and it would be “her” dog. She’d pause and think about it a second, but still say “no”.
The house has been empty since Rumpelmintz passed away in June 2013. Many people contacted me about adopting a cat (or cats), but the thought just made me sad. I was just too focused on the losses I’d suffered and how much I missed the cats I’d had to consider opening my heart and home to a different cat (or cats).
Yet, it seemed I needed something. After all the cats were gone, it seemed my life lacked a sort of “purpose”. I imagine this may be how people feel when their children have all left home – or after they’ve retired from a very satisfying career. It was as though part of my identity was gone. I was told I was still a “crazy cat lady” – but a crazy cat lady with no cats?
After some time, I was thinking more and more about the possibility of adopting a dog. I even adopted an “imaginary dog”. It was my way of practicing for the possibility of having an actual dog. For example, when ChiBeria was at its height, I shoveled a path for my “imaginary dog” to do its imaginary business.
I figured the next step would be getting some experience with not-so-imaginary dogs. I went to the dog shelter near my house and signed up to volunteer in December. They gave me a tour, and I dove in, filling water bowls using a watering can so I didn’t have to open any cages/crates. I confess, I didn’t make it long. I quickly became overwhelmed with the barking dogs and left, rather embarrassed.
I wasn’t even brave enough to go back until March. I was thinking about dogs seriously by then, and had purchased and read some books on dogs. This time I went in with the sole purpose of walking some dogs and potentially applying to foster one. I walked four dogs that day: Bender, Dixie, Shannon, and Spot. I had it in mind to foster a larger, older, low-energy, easy-to-walk dog. Bender fit the bill pretty well. He was an older (8 years) Beagle/Basset Hound mix. I enjoyed walking him. He was much more interested in sniffing things outside than in me.
Dixie wasn’t really anything like what I’d been thinking of, but she was cute and lower-energy and easy-to-walk, so we went. She had me laughing from the minute I met her. The shelter volunteer came out carrying her, telling me Dixie didn’t want to go for a walk and I might have to carry her – and put her in my arms. I carried her outside. Dixie said it was cold. I carried her across the busy street, then put her down. She balked at first, then decided if we were going for a walk, it was ALL BUSINESS and she’d walk with great purpose, quickly on her little legs. She wasn’t stopping and sniffing anything – though she’d stop on occasion to shake the snow off her fur and face. She was ridiculous.
I was having my typical brain-too-full meltdown, so just asked a volunteer to bring me a dog that would be easy to walk for the next two. Shannon was a funny whirling dust mop on a leash. Very cute, but younger and higher energy than I had been considering. Spot was a doll, but had some “leash reactivity” which means he tends to bark at people and other dogs when leashed. As someone with no real dog experience, I wasn’t sure I was equipped to teach him differently.
Despite being cold, I thought of how much fun it was – and went back the next day. I walked Bender again. He was a trooper as before, and plodded happily through snow and puddles sniffing (and peeing on) things. I walked Dixie again, and she had me laughing again with her reluctance to get her paws wet and how unsure she was that we should go for a walk at all. As usual, I was overwhelmed and relied heavily on the shelter volunteers for other dogs to meet. Lizzie was too fearful to go for a walk, so I spent time with her in the “meet and greet room”. She gathered enough courage to approach me for a treat, but most of our time was spent with her barking and biting at the door wanting out. Frisco was undergoing heartworm treatment so couldn’t go for a walk. We also spent time in the “meet and greet room”. He urinated on the room’s wall, put his head in my lap for a while, then lay on the floor. He seemed more like a “no energy dog” than a “low energy dog”. I don’t know if that was the recovery or he’s just like that. He was nice. I was unsure.
I talked to friends a lot. Two things came up frequently from them:
1) I laughed and smiled a lot when I talked about Dixie. While she was nothing I’d imagined as a dog companion, she brought me joy and felt… “easy”.
2) While I’d been thinking of fostering and getting some dog experience before committing to an adoption, I might be really reluctant to let go of a dog I’d fallen in love with.
Things happened quickly after that. I had thought I could maybe bring a dog home in mid-March after a trip to visit family. Now I was imagining Dixie in my home, and nervous she’d be adopted before I had a chance. With encouragement, I submitted an adoption application for Dixie the Friday before my long weekend trip. The shelter volunteer checked my references on Friday, and followed up quickly. I explained I’d be out of town until Tuesday night. That worked with their schedule, as they were unavailable for a home visit before Wednesday, On Wednesday, my adoption was approved. Thursday afternoon (March 13), I was able to pick up my little girl.
(Edited to add: Just in time, by the way – apparently the shelter received two adoption applications for Dixie on the day I picked her up!)
She is adorable! So happy for you two!
As always, there were tears when i read your post… But like Pam, i am happy for you two. Dixie is very lucky to have you 😀
Congrats to you AND Dixie!