So we did it. We spent nearly $1,000 on a puppy because, well... I wanted a puppy. But let me start out with this. My boyfriend and I had been together over three years when we decided on getting a puppy. We knew each other well enough to assure we would be able to financially support an animal, along with being able to take care of it. My boyfriend is that stereotypical small-town, miss school on the first day of hunting, dress in a ball cap and boots every day kind of guy. Because of this, I knew that a hunting dog was in our future.

The Catahoula Leopard Dog (insert the typical ‘Cata-what?’ phrase). This dog is the state dog of Louisiana and quite possibly one of their best-kept secrets. These dogs are bred for their working and hunting abilities and are used most for hog hunting. It is extremely hard to find them in the Midwest, but you can find them very easily in the South and somewhat easy in the Southwest. After weeks went by of reading anything and everything about this breed, we found a breeder called “CowboyHat Catahoulas” in Surprise, Arizona. There was no way for us to drive 1700 miles from Illinois to Arizona, so we had to wait until our puppy flew home to us. That’s right, our dog got in an airplane to fly from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL before my boyfriend ever stepped foot into a plane. We picked up our Sadie girl, a name decided after several lists of potential names were made, and started our journey as a little family.

And then it began..

The Amount of Responsibility We Gained

Who would have ever known that something so small and cute could be so loud for so long? The constant whining at night for the first several nights called for sleep deprivation for about a week. But who was Sadie really whining for? She no longer had her puppy parents; we were her new parents now. Whatever it was, we were now in charge of taking care of her and making sure she was okay.

Who knew that we could go through rolls and rolls of paper towels cleaning up pee and puppy poop? We did get lucky because she was born and raised (for eight weeks) outside so she knew for the most part that she needed to do her lady business out in the grass, but sometimes she just couldn’t hold it. And to be honest, she was still unsure about grass because she didn’t have that to run around in in Arizona. When she had to go out at two a.m. guess who was out there holding a flashlight? When she acted like she had to go outside just 15 minutes after being out, we took her. That was part of the responsibility we now had even if it meant 20 trips outside in a day.

Our Relationship Grew so Fast in Such a Short Period of Time

Within weeks of having our dog, my boyfriend and I grew so much closer and in a way really improved our communication skills. It was understood from the beginning that I would be doing most of the shopping for our girl while he would be in charge of watching her while I was away at school. This constant communication involving another life has made our communication skills grow and even easier to talk to one another.

Personally, I have fallen in love with him even more watching how he is with Sadie. Ladies, you know that feeling when you see a man play with children? Well, I’m not so much of a “children person,” so seeing the man I love take care of the animal I love made me grow even fonder of him.

Looking back,I don’t regret a single thing about getting a puppy with my boyfriend at such a young age. Having Sadie has changed our relationship for the better, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the little family that we have. We absolutely adore our chicken chasing, cow loving, eat any toy with stuffing Catahoula Leopard dog. Life may be ‘ruff’ sometimes but I know I always have these two to look forward to and help me embark on my journey.