Meet Lucy.
Lucy is a pit bull mix at the Huron Valley Humane Society. She's 8 months old (which means she still has a little growing to do, but it doesn't look like she'll be huge) and she's a staff favorite who is friendly to people and nonagressive towards other dogs. She craved attention and liked licking my hands through the bars of the cage, but when I pet her in just the right place on her back she stood absolutely stock still and just let me stroke her.
When I walked into the humane society today I knew that 1) I was not going to walk out with a dog, and 2) I was nevertheless looking at the dogs with an eye to walking out with one eventually. Although I had not even considered going to the humane society until a conversation with my roommate on the way to church yesterday, this field trip and its associated intentions were not entirely spontaneous. I have been talking about getting a dog for years, but have never thought about it seriously because I am a student and I cannot be home enough to give a dog the attention it needs. But yesterday it suddenly occurred to me that I am no longer in that position. In fact, I'm probably in the ideal position to get a dog, because I am starting my dissertation and spending a lot more time at home, and I have two years on this schedule before I get a real job. The more I think about it, the more I realize that if I am going to get a dog, this is actually probably the time in my life to do it.
In some ways, though, it's kind of a terrifying thought. Although Ashley (and Kelsey for that matter) would love for "I'll sleep on it" to mean I'll take a nap and then return in the evening, I can't make this decision lightly. If I'm going to make a commitment like this I have to be absolutely sure that Lucy is the right dog for me, and I have to be absolutely sure I am ready to take on the financial and time commitment that will be required of me. A dog is a living creature that requires a lot of care and training, much more than a plant, a fish, a turtle, or even a cat. And a dog is a long-term commitment. She'll be there when I move and get a real job, very likely when I get married and when I begin having children. Even in the short term, she is going to be living in my apartment, interacting with my friends, having accidents on the carpet, needing to be taken outdoors even when it's cold out. I'm going to have to figure out what to do with her if I go home for Christmas or to the north for the weekend or on a weeklong trip to Europe. There is no way I am going to make a decision like this lightly. I am going to do my research and do it well, talk to people who know me well and can give me advice (except for Kelsey who thinks my getting a dog would be the best thing to happen to her since marriage and is therefore too emotionally involved to do me much good), sleep on it (for real), pay a visit or two or three more to Lucy, and be willing to accept the possibility that this might not be the right time for me to do this.
One thing I will say, though, is that I knew this when I went to the Humane Society, and so I knew that if I was going to walk away with the thought that I might end up with one of these dogs, it was going to have to be THE right dog. There were lots of dogs there, and lots of them were cute and lovable and in need of a good home. But after walking through and seeing all of them, I wasn't feeling it. Not exactly. Until I met Lucy, in the very last cage I visited. And once I met Lucy, I kept coming back to her, and by the end I could not keep myself away, and knew that if I had found a dog, she was the one.
Oh, and I am very serious about this, and so I would really like comments on this post. Advice and personal experiences with dogs are especially welcome, but I'll also accept confirmation that Lucy really is a beautiful dog :).
6 comments:
I WANT LUCY!!!
You should take into account that Lucy could woo someone else, and the longer you wait... the greater the possibility there is of her being snatched up by some drunken abusive high-school drop out who couldn't possibly make her as happy as we can. Carpe diem! There is no time like the present. "Now is the time for cow!" (or- Lucy :)
Ok Aims, I am all about adopting dogs. The thing I have found and this is probably my own thing, I have found that when I adopt they are great dogs, but have already developed their traits, some I couldn't break. So for me starting from baby works better because you can train them to understand you and you understand them more as well. Though I still keep trying to find the right one, Brixton was the one for me, but has long since had a new home. I have had 2 adopted dogs since, Both with good new homes, So the best advice I would say is make sure the breed fits well for your life style, ie... Needy vs independent, runners vs hang around dogs, trainable vs fun dogs. I would research breeds and see what fits and go for a dog in that area, mixes are great, less health problems. Ok so with that said, Lucy is super cute and I wouldn't have left without her. (impulsive and animal lover) Good Luck, if you want more info on my experiences just ask. ciao!
She is beautiful. For the record, I've had three wonderful Rottie mixes and two horrible small dogs from shelters. Shelby and Radar have been a ton of work, but I wouldn't hesitate a moment to do it again. (Might want to ask 'Brozy whether she'd do it again.
She IS a beautiful dog!
The pros are obvious and you have a well thought out list of cons. You touched on the financial commitment, so I'll just add that a trip to the vet can be very costly. An ear infection for example (which Logan seems to be disposed to) can cost as much as a couple hundred dollars by the time you pay the vet and buy all the medications. Like humans, dogs get sick, injured, etc. Then there's the regular (yearly) shots, flea medication and deworming (if dogs need deworming in Michigan). I know that you can get "insurance" for dogs, but I don't think that's very cost effective yet. Also, if you can't find a babysitter and need to kennel a dog, you're probably talking $20 a day for a large dog. You might also want to price out a large bag of dog food. I don't know what it goes for in Michigan but it's not cheap (around $35.00 in CA). However, it will last you a while so just be aware of how much you'll need to spend every month or so (depending on how much you keep on hand).
Anyway, I'm not trying to talk you out of it AT ALL. Dogs are wonderful and loving companions and we absolutely love our Logan. I just wanted to make sure that you have as much info as possible to make your decision.
Good luck! We'll be waiting to hear what you decide! (I knew you couldn't get out of the Humane Society unscathed.) ;-)
I won't touch on the real issues, since everyone else beat me to it. I'll just say that Lucy is a boring name for a dog.
If you adopt Lucy I will walk her and play with her and love her whenever you need some help!
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