It’s been many years since we had a puppy in the house. After Schnitzel was gone, I knew in time I’d be ready to adopt another. I anticipated some of the usual:
Lots of clean up after accidents in the house.
Frequent pet store trips for more treats and bones (we’ve come to refer to bones as peace-keepers).
Sneak attacks:
Starting from square one with “sit!” and leash training.
My kitchen becoming puppy wrestling central, especially right when I’m making dinner.
Succumbing to absolute and utter cuteness on a daily basis:
Getting a 3 a.m. “I gotta go now!” wake-up whimper.
Tiny war wounds from puppy love bites.
Trying extra hard to give Brüski love and attention so he doesn’t get too jealous.
Feeling my heart grow with instant love for our new fella.
When we adopted Barnaby a couple of weeks ago, I expected all of this. But I’m also getting a lesson in balance that I never saw coming.
I’m pretty driven, and if left unchecked, I can just keep on working, working, working. It isn’t rare for me to be the last one in the office, thinking, I’ll wrap up soon, right after I do just one more thing… It’s not a hero thing, I just love what I do. But I also love being at home with my human and furry family.
A puppy is a great way to reset. I can’t just do this one more thing when I have a tiny guy with a tiny bladder in a crate at home.
Welcome home, Barnaby. And thank you for the reminder.
This post is part of Think Kit by SmallBox
Prompt: “Animal Kingdom. Write an ode about the unending loyalty or the curious antics of a furry friend. Did you learn something about yourself or the world from your pet this year? Maybe you learned a lesson from an animal in the wild, or a nature program?”