Growing up, we always had a dog and I am not sure why we waited so long to get the boys a dog. I guess we always had the typical reservations:
Who will end up taking care of the dog? (Easy...me!)
Who will vacuum the hair ( Again...me)
Pick up the poop (you guessed it...me)
Take the dog to the vet ( me again)
You know the drill, moms!
Thomas and I were working out at the rec center shortly after the death of my nephew. Out from the classifieds by the front entrance peeked Lexi and about 3 other puppies available "for sale"... At the time, we thought we wanted a black lab, but after we talked each other into going to check them out, we informed CTDad (who was busy at work, of course) that we had found a dog... A yellow lab...sweet and unassuming. She would have "papers" ...whatever that means...and for the low, low price of $300, we could be the proud owners of a puppy. CT Papa felt so strongly about us moving forward that he chipped in some $$$ and Lexi girl was ours. I must say, after 12 years, it may be the best money we ever spent as a family.
Once we were off to the races, we trained her (time consuming but worth every minute!) and the boys chipped in with the duties of dog ownership. I remember her being scared the first night in the house and, rather than taking her out of her kennel, grabbing a pillow off the couch and sleeping on the floor next to her. Within a year, she was getting the morning paper from the driveway (rain, snow, sleet, or hail) and she contributed more to the house than we ever expected. You see, dogs teach kids about life:
It's not all about YOU and your every need.
Empathy for others.
Doing something for another living being.
Care and feeding of others.
A good petting may fix everything.
Walking and staying in shape for the sake of your very needy dog.
How to love something more than yourself.
There are huge advantages to unconditional love.
Self care (i.e. I'm brushing my dog, maybe I should brush my own teeth and hair!).
When you take care of others, there may be "crap" involved.
As I type, my doggie sits quietly next to me. She has recently lost her hearing and as the boys have grown and gone, she still stays close and love the daily (much shorter) walks. I am back to (mostly) picking up and feeding, with the occasional help from CTBoy... Life is good...but life is better...with a dog.
Happy Tails,
Coffeetalkmom
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