Let me start off by saying this one thing; no matter what you do, your dogs will always love you anyways; you are their life.
I didn’t always have a dog in my life. In fact, I got my first dog as a birthday gift when I was five and I was terrified of it. I wanted to keep it, but something just wouldn’t let me touch it or let it lick me without me screaming out in terror. Two weeks had passed and I still hadn’t really gotten used to my new puppy; her name was Lizzy. One afternoon I was watching the infamous "Jojo and Goliath" in my beanbag chair when I fell asleep. What I woke up to put me in a delicate position I never expected. Lizzy had crawled up on my lap while I was sleeping and was sound asleep in my beanbag chair with me. In that moment I had to decide whether or not I could trust her not to bite me with her “teefs”, as I used to call them. In the end we made a connection that day and I have been a dog person ever since. But, with this title comes one (or two in my case) dogs.
Gus, left. Luke, right.
In honor of having two fur babies who make my life rather interesting, I’ve made a list that me and some of my other dog mama friends have found to be almost impossible to avoid while raising a fur baby:
Lack of personal space.
I’m not sure about your sleeping arrangements but when I say my dogs are by my side 24/7 when I’m not at work, I mean it. They’re seriously on my lap while I’m writing this. Showering, among many other things, is now done with an audience outside the curtain. If you have a personal bubble, being a dog mama is sure to burst it! I would kill for one meal in peace, one shower ALL BY MYSELF, and I wouldn’t mind being able to move in my own bed without being growled at for waking them up.
Silence isn’t so golden anymore.
Fear is what I feel when I’m finally really into my DVR list and I’m not being bothered by a dog. If they’re not bothering me, they’re somewhere else getting into trouble or getting into something that is probably important, but you didn’t realize it until they demolished it. On the bright side, being a dog mama definitely keeps you on your toes!
Mugsley Simpson
Puppy-proofing everything.
How much stuff have you lost because you forgot to put them out of the pups’ reach? This isn’t a permanent situation folks, but it sure seems to last a while. Shoes, trash, furniture, anything that isn’t drilled to the floor or won’t break off is a potential toy for them and my dogs plan to take advantage of everyone of them! I’m starting to see why couples start out with a dog before a baby now...
So much personality!
At first I thought this was just something my dog had; a personality. He’s the type of dog that has these looks that make you feel like if he is a human being and has just put his look into words; you both would be immediate best friends after hearing one sentence. Don’t get me wrong, the personality and spunk is the cutest thing ever...but I’m not sure who has the worst attitude, my Luke or Ariana Grande. Some days it’s a tie but his personality is what makes him who he is. “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Dr. Suess.
As long as I'm living, my owner you will be.
Unconditional love is so much more than a word, it’s an act. You may have stepped on their toes or scolded them for tearing something up, but they still love you as much as they did before, if not more! They have a desire to make their owners happy, to be loyal no matter what, and to ease the pain no matter how deep it goes; which makes all of the “struggles” and trials totally worth it.
Zoey Simpson...Rest easy girl.
