My grandmother just turned 96 and I knew having a puppy around would brighten up the mood
The Decision
About 4 months into the pandemic I started looking for a dog.
I always wanted a dog, and the working from home situation made it possible.
Also, my lifestyle was changing. I wanted a companion when I go jogging, hiking, and all kinds of outdoor adventures.
Plus my dad has a dog – Oreo. And I loved hanging out with her. Here are some pics (yes, she is allowed to the couch).
My Living Situation
At the time I was living with my mother (65) and grandmother (96). We are a small family unit and heavily rely on each other.
My grandmother has always been a sweet little lady, but was having more bad days than good ones. She just turned 96 and I knew having a puppy around would brighten up the mood. For all those involved in elder care for a family member, you know what I am talking about.
Now, my mom was against having a dog. She already felt swamped with house work, even with my help. I had to convince her I can handle raising a puppy AND helping grandma get through the day. Still, I considered her concerns when looking for a dog – no more than 40 lbs (sorry golden and labrador retrievers), not a barker (sorry corgy), not a shedder (sorry border collie), etc.
Input from Friends and Family
Lots of my friends had dogs, and they gave the entire gamut of opinions from “will be best decision in your life!” to “you will regret it later”. I saw this to mean it will be great, but there will be a lot of work – I had to make sure I was ready for an influx of responsibilities.
IMPORTANT: My mom was scared of dogs and didn’t want the trouble of raising one. Instead of just going against her will, I tried to get her involved in setting the rules/preferences. For example, I said I will take sole responsibility in walking her, taking her to the vet, cleaning her, etc. She also didn’t want a dog that barked a lot, or shed a lot. I took all these under consideration when I started looking. I think this is important – to make sure she understood I was committed, but also made sure she had a say in how this was going to work.
I knew there would be a lot of challenges and sometimes sacrifices, but I was up for all that. So I started looking.
HappyTailAdventures 