Crazy Dog People

Dog people are crazy. They have an animal that covers their house in fur, muddy paw prints, and an underlying canine smell. They pay ridiculous vet bills and food bills and their yards are poop mine fields. Dog owners are forever worrying about getting back home to let the dog out and figuring out what to do with the dog when they go away. Dogs are expensive and a lot of work and people actually choose to get them. Crazy people. People like me.

 We picked up our first family dog three weeks ago. He pees about every 40 minutes. If I miss the tell tale sniffing, he pees on my floor. I have to get up several times a night to take him out. He has sharp little teeth and likes to use them, on everything. Our house now smells like dog and so far he has already cost us a small fortune. And I love him to pieces. 

Dogs are a dichotomy between hassle and joy. Much like children, you don’t really get it until you have your own. Since I already have three children and all the hassle they entail, I wasn’t really keen to take on another responsibility with a heartbeat but all the crazy dog people in my life are very convincing.

This came as much of a surprise to me as it did to people who know me. When my son was two he was bitten in the face by an elderly dog. I was hysterical and unforgiving. I held a grudge against all dogs for several years. I called them baby biters and I didn’t trust any of them. So when I started telling the crazy dog people in my life that I was thinking about getting a dog, they were skeptical. When I told them I was getting a Newfoundland, they stared at me blankly as if I had lost my mind completely. I may have. 

Silverpixels, who has three dogs including a mastiff, was determined to give me full disclosure. She once spent several minutes panting into the phone to demonstrate what my new soundtrack would be. She warned about the complications of taking a large breed dog to the vet and the size of the dog food bags and walking out of the house with fur on your clothes every day. She even sent me pictures of Newfie drool both on and off dog because she didn’t think I quite understood how disgusting it would be. I think she might be looking forward to some “I told you so" moments. 

Regardless, my husband had his heart set on the breed and even though I will be the one caring for the dog, he was very persuasive about the endearing qualities of Newfoundlands. I think the trick is they make you fall in love with them before the drool starts. And it’s working. 

Our puppy has charmed not only my family but the crazy dog people I know who have met him. Lecia, a chihuahua owner friend of mine, came to see him the day we brought him home and just as she did when my youngest son was born, she held our new puppy in her arms and told him how lucky he was to have joined the Shuker family. Crazy dog people tend to be good people, I’ve found. 

Welcome, Rocky Cupertino. You make crazy super cute.