Another dog lover coming to the blogging world.

Last Wednesday, the 2nd, Jonathan sent me an email. He said that he was just starting out and also attached a file and asking if there was a chance of me publishing it. Of course, I replied. Here is that article. It is a very open and beautiful account of Jonathan taking on a new dog!

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Remarks from a New Dog Owner!

by Jonathan, Fur The Pups

furthepupsblog.com

Backing the twenty-foot Penske rental down the freshly grated driveway, my mind is racing with thoughts, all too distracted to be driving such a large vehicle. The day has finally come. A new house. A new dog. A new town. Altogether, a new beginning. Soon after I finish backing this truck up, unloading all of my stuff, and fueling myself with whatever food I can find, I will go pick up the new dog. His name is Barry. He is a brown labradoodle whose is as small as he is energetic.

The thoughts don’t stop coming. How will I care for him? How will I be sure he is happy? What if I do something wrong? How could it possibly be that I can provide for another living being? These are thoughts that had come and gone for the last few months after deciding I would like to have Barry. As often as I convinced myself that I could do it, I questioned myself.

Anxiety and I were well acquainted far before Barry came into the picture. The prospect of owning a dog was just another medium for the anxiety to surface. Before Barry came into the picture, I had been battling anxiety for nearly six months straight. One imperfect travel experience left me rattled for quite some time and from then on I was either actively experiencing a panic attack or on the verge of one. Depression set in not long after, and I became an empty vessel for quite some time, barely recognizable from my formal self. Six months came and went until I finally sought out the help I needed. I was a broken person. Professional help was a requirement.

And the professional help was sufficient. It allowed me to at least function again and go about my day-to-day without constantly being in a state of fight-or-flight, without the irrational thoughts and worries. But I still did not feel like myself.

And then came Barry.

My original worries regarding Barry were just that: worries. As someone who grew up around dogs, cared for dogs, dog-sat plenty of times, and generally is quite responsible, there was no real reason to believe I couldn’t be a wonderful puppy parent. When Barry came home the first night we had to bath him. I know this is not always highly regarded in the dog community due to the puppy’s sensitive skin. But he needed a bath desperately, so I drew a slightly warmer-than-lukewarm bath and bathed him. His beautiful eyes gazed at me as he began to figure out this new reality. Ripped from the comfortable arms of his previous reality of familial warmth, loving siblings, and the scent of his breeders, there is no doubt he also experienced anxiety. I’m sure he felt loneliness. He was scared. But when his bath was over, I took him out, wrapped him in a warm, clean towel, and held him. He wiggled his head into a nook in the towel and promptly fell asleep. His stomach rose, fell, rose, fell. This being who just met me several hours ago, who was no more than 2 months old, gave all of his trust to me and embraced his new reality.

It did not take me long to follow in his footsteps and embrace my new reality. I fell in love with our new routine, our daily walks, and his company on my usually lonesome days. The subtle tether of Anxiety slowly began to vanish with every new command he learned, with every minuscule improvement in his loose-leash walking, with every excited tail wag at the call of his name. Embracing my new reality became effortless, and my former self reemerged. I began seeking out new hobbies, reaching out to old friends, and becoming excited about new challenges at work. This is not to say Anxiety and I have completely lost touch. That is not the case by any means. Rather I have a new relationship with Anxiety – one where the reality of these feelings can be observed, examined, and ridiculed to a point where they do not take control of my life. How our loving canine friends handle new situations and welcome change should not be taken for granted. Let us adopt their ways and come closer to living as wonderfully as they do. 🙂

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And now the photograph of Barry!

What a gorgeous dog. Well done!

And, please, go to Jonathan’s blog. Fur The Pup’s Blog.