My Shadow

Almost two years ago my neighbor was trying to find a home for her mother's Golden Doodle.  I told her that we would take him and then I went inside and told Dave.  He was fine with it and we told Colin that we were getting a dog.  He was so excited. It was after we told Colin that my neighbor told us the dog was 85 pounds. 

I have never had a dog.  Dave had dogs the whole time he was growing up, but they were his mom's dogs and he never really took care of them.  I did not know there was a difference.  I am just going to say that ignorance is bliss because I would not have a dog if I knew all that was involved. 

Needless to say we did not end up getting the Golden Doodle.  I knew that was more than I could handle.  However, we had already told Colin that he was getting a dog.  I told him that we would go on Petfinder and find something that was under 20 pounds, hypoallergenic and needed a forever home.  In my head I thought that we would never be able to find that combination.  The very first time we went on Petfinder we found a Bichon Frise that was in the pound about 45 minutes away.  I called and put our name on the waiting list and  forgot about it. We were the ninth family on the list so I didn't tell the kids because I didn't want any disapointment if we didn't get him.  On the day they were supposed to call I remembered and mentioned it to Dave just in case we got the call. 

As I was getting ready to go to a doctor's appointment they called me and said that he was mine if I wanted him.  They were going to keep calling people and whoever got there first was going to get him.  I decided that I would go to my appointment and then I would call to see if he was still there.  When I called he was still there so I called my Partner in Crime Tricia to see if she would go with me.  We drove 45 minutes and got to the pound to find that he was still there.  I fell in love.  He was the only dog that wasn't barking, and he looked at me with his big brown eyes. 

We made the arrangements to get him "his procedure", paid and got out of there.  As we were doing that an old man came in and wanted him.  He was REALLY mad that we got there first.  We took him to the vet and had two hours to go to the pet store and get everything we needed for a dog.  On the website it specifically said that you should not epect to take your pet home on the same day.  We were clearly not prepared to take a dog home that day. 

We picked Colin up on the way home with the dog in the car.  He thought the dog was Tricia's until I told him that he was ours.  He did not believe me until I dropped Tricia off and still had the dog in the car.  Because I had not told anyone that I was planning on getting a pet it was a shock to all.  All of the neighbors called him Max the Wonder Dog because they were all wondering what I was thinking. 

Several things have happened since we brought Max home.  I didn't realize that I was basically getting a toddler that would never grow up.  I never thought my DVR would fill up with "It's Me or the Dog", and  I never thought that an animal would sleep in my room.  Not in my bed mind you, but he does sleep in a little bed next to ours. 

I never thought that I would like having a shadow that follows me EVERYWHERE.  There is no sacred place that he does not want to go.  If I have the nerve to shut the bathroom door, his little paw will reach under and wave to me, almost saying "Hey, I am still here, don't forget about me for the one minute you shut the door on me".   I never realized that I was missing a built in electric blanket that insists on sitting on me if I sit down at any time.  If I am not sitting and he would like me to, he will let me know that he needs some attention. I never thought that I would understand what his different barks mean.  I swear one of them  is a string of really bad words. 

In case you are wondering, Max is not one bit spoiled.