19/09/2025
Life with a dog.
House training is a butt kicker. Getting your favorite shoes chewed up is aggravating. Your kid left their toys out and now they have bite marks all over them. It just rained out so you have mud all over your house and it smells like wet dog. There's constantly fur to sweep up or clean off your couch. They get allergies and now you have to spend a million dollars on special food. They ate something they weren't supposed to and now you're cleaning up puke at 3am.
But then you have someone who knows when it's bedtime and nudges your hand before they curl up on their blanket. They jump with joy when you ask if they want a car ride. They would walk next to you until their legs fell off as long as that leash was attached to them. They listen to your weird conversations, laughing, singing or sit next to you during your favorite TV show.
Then the day comes to say goodbye. Because you know they're tired and it won't get better. And suddenly the muddy paw prints don't matter anymore. The wet dog smell is something you miss on rainy days. The leash hanging up; the food bowl you'll never fill again; the barks you'll never hear again that you catch yourself listening for.
Dogs don't think about tomorrow's. Which is why it's so awesome we get to love them one day at a time.
My thoughts are with a special family today as they say goodbye to their sweetheart, Oreo. Thank you for letting me know her.
