Dog Years
Another week gone by, and I have not paused long enough to sign Geddy up for adult obedience classes. To be fair, I also didn't get my old rocking chair to Blawnox Custom Upholstery, turn in my ticket order to my Penguins ticket partner, polish the silver like I told myself I needed to, or set my draft board for my upcoming fantasy draft. Life is short, but life's lists are long.
What does this have to do with dogs? I'll tell you.
I belong to a number of social media groups who are dedicated to collies, specifically rough and smooth collies (I'm not sure if any of them have a bearded...not really the same thing). It's helpful to have that resource to see how other owners handle certain things, commiserate over other things (like how so many people don't know what kind of dog we have), and to just look at all those photos of beautiful collies. But of course, those are also the venues that people have to post about their dogs who have passed to the Rainbow Bridge. Some of them handle it as a simple announcement with some photos - I'm assuming they're too numb with grief to do more, others will write loving tributes that often times just have me in tears. As I've learned over the years, we all handle our grief differently. Since I belong to a few different groups, each with a substantial international membership, those kinds of posts are sadly not rare, but for some reason - maybe because it was a bad week to begin with - they seemed to be particular voluminous and heart breaking. I know I've written about this before, but like a lot of things I experience, it got me to thinking and took me in a different direction this time given the circumstances of the week.
A lot of people over the years have asked me why I continue to take in more pets when it's so heart-breaking to me when they pass on. And, indeed, even my mother said "enough" after our family dog Hans died. She didn't want to endure that pain again. And, for any of you who aren't dog owners, I can assure you - as though of you who are will nod along with, I'm sure - the pain and grief of losing a pet is very, very real and deep. And if you lose them young for some reason, like I lost Ripley, it's far worse. I spent months being angry after the ordeal with Ripley was over. Not sure at who or what...the world, I guess...for taking her from me like that. But, the answer to the question of why build up the army again is because, since I primarily adopt, they need homes, and they give me such great joy in the time I do have with them.
Yet you do realize when you take in a dog, even as a puppy, that you, at best, have a decade and a half with that companion. I can tell you - even if you're too young right now to fully appreciate this - that time goes like a blink of an eye. And so much of those years is spent apart from the dog for most of us. I'm far luckier than most in that I have a very dog friendly work environment: my office is in my house. But that wasn't always the case.
Even for me, however, there are a lot of times I am away from them: football games, hockey games, errands (notice I didn't mention baseball, which is because sometimes you can actually bring your dog to the baseball game). And there's some guilt associated with that of course, because as Reference.com stated, dogs do miss their owners and even mourn in their long absence because they don't know that they will return. Of course, that makes me feel little dog doo (pun intended) for leaving them recently for a week's vacation.
And these are all reasons I haven't had an "only child" dog since my very early days on my own with my very first dog (a Brittney named Brittney - wasn't I just the most clever thing?). I've believed that at least my dogs would always have one another. This also played in, to a lesser extent, why my husband and I often vacationed separately (I was also a rather strong proponent that absence does make the heart grow fonder, or at least not any less fonder).
But to circle back around, finally, to the beginning. I am not the most diligent dog owner on the planet. Far from it. But, I'd like to think, I'm above average. Yet, there's always room for improvement without dipping over into Crazy Dog Lady realm. I think all those painful reminders I saw this week of how brief a time I have with my army served to subtly let me know that when I'm waffling on whether to go to the dog park or clean the bathroom, the park it should be. The bathroom will still be there when I get back. And, when I'm triaging my to-do list, I should put the classes before the chair, which has needed reupholstered for literally decades (but the dogs finally did push it into critical mode by figuring out they could rip at the torn leather).
Most importantly of all, I think, is when my dog is waiting me to come out from the bedroom from getting dressed and wants a hug, I am going to stop and make sure to give him one. That thirty seconds or so is not going to make me any later than I might already be running.
In a larger life lesson, we take our loved ones for granted. They're a comfortable part of our lives. We trust that they will be there tomorrow like they were yesterday. But life can be as cruel as it can be generous. Take a moment today to tell your family how much you love them, including the furry ones.
What does this have to do with dogs? I'll tell you.
I belong to a number of social media groups who are dedicated to collies, specifically rough and smooth collies (I'm not sure if any of them have a bearded...not really the same thing). It's helpful to have that resource to see how other owners handle certain things, commiserate over other things (like how so many people don't know what kind of dog we have), and to just look at all those photos of beautiful collies. But of course, those are also the venues that people have to post about their dogs who have passed to the Rainbow Bridge. Some of them handle it as a simple announcement with some photos - I'm assuming they're too numb with grief to do more, others will write loving tributes that often times just have me in tears. As I've learned over the years, we all handle our grief differently. Since I belong to a few different groups, each with a substantial international membership, those kinds of posts are sadly not rare, but for some reason - maybe because it was a bad week to begin with - they seemed to be particular voluminous and heart breaking. I know I've written about this before, but like a lot of things I experience, it got me to thinking and took me in a different direction this time given the circumstances of the week.
A lot of people over the years have asked me why I continue to take in more pets when it's so heart-breaking to me when they pass on. And, indeed, even my mother said "enough" after our family dog Hans died. She didn't want to endure that pain again. And, for any of you who aren't dog owners, I can assure you - as though of you who are will nod along with, I'm sure - the pain and grief of losing a pet is very, very real and deep. And if you lose them young for some reason, like I lost Ripley, it's far worse. I spent months being angry after the ordeal with Ripley was over. Not sure at who or what...the world, I guess...for taking her from me like that. But, the answer to the question of why build up the army again is because, since I primarily adopt, they need homes, and they give me such great joy in the time I do have with them.Yet you do realize when you take in a dog, even as a puppy, that you, at best, have a decade and a half with that companion. I can tell you - even if you're too young right now to fully appreciate this - that time goes like a blink of an eye. And so much of those years is spent apart from the dog for most of us. I'm far luckier than most in that I have a very dog friendly work environment: my office is in my house. But that wasn't always the case.
Even for me, however, there are a lot of times I am away from them: football games, hockey games, errands (notice I didn't mention baseball, which is because sometimes you can actually bring your dog to the baseball game). And there's some guilt associated with that of course, because as Reference.com stated, dogs do miss their owners and even mourn in their long absence because they don't know that they will return. Of course, that makes me feel little dog doo (pun intended) for leaving them recently for a week's vacation.
And these are all reasons I haven't had an "only child" dog since my very early days on my own with my very first dog (a Brittney named Brittney - wasn't I just the most clever thing?). I've believed that at least my dogs would always have one another. This also played in, to a lesser extent, why my husband and I often vacationed separately (I was also a rather strong proponent that absence does make the heart grow fonder, or at least not any less fonder).
But to circle back around, finally, to the beginning. I am not the most diligent dog owner on the planet. Far from it. But, I'd like to think, I'm above average. Yet, there's always room for improvement without dipping over into Crazy Dog Lady realm. I think all those painful reminders I saw this week of how brief a time I have with my army served to subtly let me know that when I'm waffling on whether to go to the dog park or clean the bathroom, the park it should be. The bathroom will still be there when I get back. And, when I'm triaging my to-do list, I should put the classes before the chair, which has needed reupholstered for literally decades (but the dogs finally did push it into critical mode by figuring out they could rip at the torn leather).
Most importantly of all, I think, is when my dog is waiting me to come out from the bedroom from getting dressed and wants a hug, I am going to stop and make sure to give him one. That thirty seconds or so is not going to make me any later than I might already be running.
In a larger life lesson, we take our loved ones for granted. They're a comfortable part of our lives. We trust that they will be there tomorrow like they were yesterday. But life can be as cruel as it can be generous. Take a moment today to tell your family how much you love them, including the furry ones.
You said it so eloquently. Don't think today is you dog's last day that will make you crazy but treat them that way and don't miss an opportunity to show your love and appreciation.
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