Day 10: Dog Lovers

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras

I wasn't a child that asked for much growing up.  I didn't ask for new toys or new opportunities.  I wasn't a toy person.  I spent most of my time outside with my brothers.  We had fake guns that were probably 15 years old by the time I got them.  We had a basketball goal, a play set, a trampoline, dogs, and each other...and that's where I spent most of my time.  I learned to love basketball, probably because I was good at it.  Our play set was actually really cool.  It had one and two person swings, a gymnastic bar, and a seat that spun you around.  The trampoline came a little later in life, but Bekah and I absolutely loved it!  We would stay out there for hours doing flips, playing popcorn, and bouncing each other as high as we could.  We had several dogs, but MY dog was the best one of all.  I picked her out at the pound when I was 3. She was the ugliest, scrawniest, most awkward dog you've ever seen and I loved her.  She was an Australian shepherd and probably 52 other things as well.  Her coat was black and gray so I named her Pepper.  She was about 60 pounds and 3 years old and I wanted to be her best friend.  We were best friends.  She went everywhere with me and we got more love and affection from one another than we ever could have imagined.  Big dogs don't normally make it past 12 years old and my parents started preparing me for Pepper's death when we both turned 11.  However, that dog lived 19 years!  It was hard to see her go...her death was the reason I went home the first time after moving out.

I don't know what it is about the companionship and unconditional love that an animal brings, but I can't imagine my life without a dog.  However, I think just like people, you have to have a connection with your dog - something innate, that can't be cultivated.  Bekah had a dog as well.  Her name was Whisper.  I really never cared much for Whisper.  Obviously, I fed her and gave her water and made sure she was taken care of, but as far as cuddling and loving on a dog, Whisper wasn't the one I spent any time with.  When Jordan and I decided to get a dog, I picked out a super cute one online and sent her to get him.  Eli was a dog that we were both able to connect with, but he outgrew us.  He was supposed to be 25 pounds MAX...when we found him a new family he was 60 pounds and needed way more space than what we had to offer.  He needed room to run all day long.  It was hard to let him go, but we knew it was best for us and him.  We still talk to his new owners and get updates on how he's doing.  He's really in excellent hands and we feel like we made the best decision for him.

Losing Eli, even though we knew it was best for him, left us feeling pretty empty.  It wasn't long before we decided that we would be getting another dog.  I picked this one out on my own.  Jordan didn't even meet him until he was ours.   When I brought Milo home, Jordan hated him.  She thought he was mean and didn't like to be touched.  I loved him.  From the very first minute I saw him, I knew I loved him.  She knew that I was already smitten and that we were going to be keeping him.  After a few weeks of Milo being in our home, he began to warm up to Jordan.  He's definitely MY dog - he cries for me, sleeps with me, cuddles with me, and won't go anywhere without me...but he loves Jordan too and still identifies with her.

So, we've been talking a lot lately about adding a new member to our family.  Children are a long way off for us because we're waiting until Jordan is finished with graduate school, has a career, and a house.  We think we need to be more settled down than we are now.  So we're at a place where we want another little furry creature to be a part of our family.  More so for Jordan than me.  We want a dog that she connects with, just like I do with Milo.  However, we also need for Milo and this new dog to get along.  We don't want another senior because Milo is already 8 1/2 years old and we can't stand the thought of losing two of them at once.  Jordan doesn't want a puppy because she's over potty training and chewing.  I have to have a hypoallergenic dog because my allergies are much more severe than they once were.  So we're searching.

We're excited for the new addition, but exhausted from the hunt.  We are very particular in our needs and we're looking for that connection.  We plan on spending the day finding a new friend...we'll see where this takes us.  Like Jordan always says, "if it's meant to happen, it will."

Wish us luck!