I've made a terrible mistake. Two weeks ago, I got a 7-week-old yellow lab puppy. That is not the mistake. Tonight, I watched "Marley & Me" on my parents' on-demand, and that is exactly where I went wrong. Cuddled up on the couch with Fitzgerald, lovingly called Fitz, I couldn't imagine the pain of losing him someday. He's been my dog for less than a month, but I already can't imagine life without him.
I contemplated getting a dog for months. I've always been an animal lover, and growing up we always had a dog in our home. With graduation approaching in five months and the looming reality that I might be moving to a strange city by myself, I wanted someone to keep me company and make me feel safe and loved at all times. Everyone has an opinion on getting a dog in college. Some people think it's a great idea, but in my experience, the majority advised against it. People will tell you all kinds of things about getting a puppy – it's hard to travel, they're expensive, they're time consuming, they chew everything – I heard it all. Besides, there are even more things people fail to tell you about getting a dog.
Nobody tells you how loved a dog can make you feel – mostly because it's inexplicable. You can't put into words the happiness a dog brings you when he runs into your arms after you get home from work. Nobody tells you about the joy in your heart when he nuzzles into your neck as he sleeps or he runs to your side for protection when he's scared.
Nobody tells you how much you will worry. You'll miss them so much it hurts. When you're out with friends or grocery shopping or even just out of their line of sight, you'll think about them constantly. You'll stop leaving bobby pins all over the house because you're worried they'll eat one and get hurt. You'll want to cry when you put them in their crate and they whine as you walk out the front door. You'll think more about another living being than yourself at all times, and you'll be a mess when you think about them growing up.
Nobody tells you about the laughter. Your stomach will cramp from belly laughs when you put a collar on them for the first time and they spin in circles trying to get it off. Your cheeks will hurt from smiling when they wake you up in the morning by pawing your face for attention. When they stumble with their clumsy, giant puppy paws, you'll want to squeeze them and baby talk to them and wish you could record every move they make.
Nobody tells you how proud you will be. The first time they sit on command or scratch at the front door when they have to potty, you'll want to tell everyone. You'll text your parents and your friends and you'll tweet about it only to realize that nobody really cares except you because it's your dog, but it doesn't matter because you're proud of them and they know it.
Nobody could ever explain all the ways that a dog changes your life. But in the end, you wouldn't want them to anyway. You'll want to experience it together: the surprises, the triumphs, the struggles. Nobody tells you that when you get a dog, you're also getting a best friend, a partner in crime, a security guard and a confidant.
If there's one thing that somebody should tell you about getting a dog, it's this: It's worth it.
