From the time in middle school that my dog, Barkley, died, I’ve been begging my parents for a new pet. No matter what animal, I asked for bunnies, dogs, cats, even a flying squirrel, but my parents wouldn’t budge. All my life, my dad has had a strict rule on allowing pets inside the house and even turned away my aunt and her dachshund many a time.
Recently, when my sister got a cat, he had to cave. Norbert was allowed inside, and every time he visits for holidays, my dad gets nervous.
However, a few weeks ago, while hanging out at Shorty’s, I got a phone call from my parents. They adopted a dog, Riley. This was the best news I had heard all month! From the time of this good news to the time that I came home over spring break, I received copious amounts of cute pictures of Riley playing with my parents. When I arrived home, I walked inside my house and Riley was lying on the ground! He was allowed inside the house. I was beyond excited and very eager to have a new sleeping buddy. That was, however, against the rules. Riley is not allowed on furniture...
All throughout finals week, all I could think about was returning to my home and playing with Riley. Many studies have shown that animals are one of the best stress relieving mechanisms that there is. When talking to other peers of mine during the end of the year stress, the majority of them are more excited to see their pets than their friends from high school.
More than being a great stress reliever and smelly cuddler, Riley, along with everyone else’s pets, is a great friend. Arriving home before my old friends has given me so much time to spend with my new dog. I have gotten to know some of his favorite toys and the time of day when he is most active. Learning how to deal with his constant gnawing of my ankles and my stuffed animals has been a feat, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Dogs are a great way to get your mind off stressful situations while also having fun and making a new friend. If your dad doesn’t like having pets in the house or on the furniture (and isn’t allergic to them), try begging a little more!
