So About those Dogs…
Remember on Monday when I said that my work schedule wasn’t really conducive to dog ownership? Well, I was wrong. It is. It so is.
I’ve managed to cut back my teaching so that I’m only out of the house two nights a week, plus the occasional rehearsal or show on the weekends. Aside from that, I work from home pretty much all day, every day. And even though it’s always been my dream to have a home office, and I am rather pleased with how said office came out, it gets lonely. And boring. And by the time PIC comes home from work I’m so starved for companionship that I practically pounce on him. (Which he doesn’t always appreciate as much as you think he would…)
Also PIC has a normal 9-5 job so as long as he doesn’t spend too long at the gym after work, we can totally do this.
I mention all of this because having my parents’ dog for a week really did a number on us—in a good way. We were both happier, and nicer to each other, and generally more content (which is no small feat when you’re talking about two sometimes-okay-often moody people).
So now we want to get a dog.
She’s not actually possessed, I swear.
We had initially decided to wait until we were married (especially because we’re planning a two week honeymoon and don’t want to have to find a sitter for that long) but after waking up this morning to empty dog pillows and cast off toys strewn rather forlornly across the living room floor, we started talking.
We could get a dog now.
But it’s a big decision, especially because PIC has never actually owned a dog before so I’ve explaining to him that we have to be on the same page about things (i.e. the couch is for humans only and we will never be the type to walk our dog off leash). I also know that we have to make sure we don’t spoil our potential future dog, because then when our potential future baby comes along, the dog will feel neglected and get traumatized and shelter dogs have already had enough trauma.
So… thoughts?
Fieldwork in Stilettos 
8 Responses to “So About those Dogs…”
Puppies!!! Dogs are such a great addition to your household. Plus, it’s a great way to gauge how well you guys deal with having to make joint decisions on something that is completely dependent on you. Although there was never a doubt in my mind about having kids with FH, watching him with our puppy (he never had one either) made me realize just how amazing a dad he will be. And how he will be a partner in parenting, not just a sperm donor.
Personally, I would recommend going with a dog that is about 10 months old or so. Adopting a puppy that is only a few weeks old, that’s a WHOLE different ballpark. That’s waking up every two hours in the night to make sure the dog doesn’t pee the bed. That’s so much hands on stuff that there is no way you will be able to be productive while working from home. We got our pup at 10 months and I’m so glad we did. I’m a big fan of petfinders.com for rescuing a pup. And it is important to do some research before adopting. Make sure you guys are on the same boat about size, training, and also understand which dogs tend to produce more hair… which ones are good with kids (if that’s potentially in your future), etc. More people need to do that sort of thing before adopting. Returning dogs is such a fucked up thing to do and it happens way more than it should. It’s a big decision, but I think you guys would make great pet parents. Good luck!! 🙂
Agreed, and yeah– we’re definitely planning to steer clear of puppies. At least for our first dog. They’re adorable but they require so much more work, and the teething drives me nuts. I think we’d go for a medium to medium-large sized dog in the 2-4 year old range, this way they’re already housebroken and have some basic training, plus they’re usually the ones who need homes more than the “cuter” younger dogs. Kid friendly is a must– not only do we want to have kids but there are like a zillion kids on our block always running around and making noise so we need a dog who would be cool with all of that.
And yeah, there’s nothing sexier than watching the man you love take care of an animal. I’ve always been ambivalent about babies but watching PIC with the dogs has ramped up my “I want a baby!!!”-meter like 100 fold.
Also? I dropped by my parents house yesterday to return the dogs to them and saw a beautiful arch in one of the rooms downstairs… it took me a second to figure out what it doing there and then I realized it’s probably the one for your wedding! Looks fab 🙂
Do get a dog! By the way, are those BOTH your PICs in the picture? 🙂
The picture is my dad and my parents’ dog Belle (she is his favorite).
Aww. Too cute. Belle’s got the laser eyes going on there.
Sometimes I think about pet ownership, and then I decide, nah. I do enjoy both dogs and cats though.
So Kat I love the idea of having rules prior to your new baby coming to a forever home. I must say though that I had all those rules. The no people food, no furniture, and no bed for sure. My husband was against a dog all together and was in total and complete agreement. Until…..those big brown eyes and that cute little face just needed a little snack, cuddle, love and of course he was so lonely in his little bed. Now Mr Bojangles has his own chair in the house! And I wouldn’t change it for a second. I love the idea of you guys getting a dog.
not yet…as tempting as it is..wait till after, borrow dusty whenever you want.
[…] Monday’s post about dogs and Wednesday’s post about dogs, I figured I might as well keep this canine theme going a bit longer. And so, without further ado, […]