Choosing for a dog - How good does that sound? Strolling together in parks and forests with the warmth of the sun on your face, cuddling on the couch on lazy winter sundays, having a companion even for a spontanuous visit in your favorite cafe. Life with a dog is so perfect, who wouldn´t want that?
Well, when choosing for the first dog, this is what most people have in mind. Frankly, even if - in clear moments - one realizes that also on rainy autumn days dogs need to be walked, that the favorite pair of shoes might be turned into chewing toys, that training treats, saturdays spent in dog school and collecting poop will take on big parts of life, those facts are still not really settling when taking the decision for a dog.
Luckily! Because otherwise no dog would ever find a home.
But how is it actually... actually to choose for your first dog?
Sobering in a way. With its inevitable truths, that
- you do have to walk your dog several times every day. And sun is not always shining!
- your dog will have massive effects on your free time and holiday planning.
- dirt and mess in your apartment will within minutes be put on a next level.
- you`ll be woken up in the middle of the night because your dog has stomack pain from all the cat poop he ate on your walk.
- friends without dogs might soon have enough from you, since they really don`t give a f*** about all your stories of what your dog ate, how he pooped, and what super cute things he did.
On top, there is somehting happening that is not so obvious. No matter how hard you try, or maybe especially because you try so hard, you will do any mistake you can do with your first dog.
Your first dog is the one that has to cope with your lacking knowledge about his basic needs, your reoccuring efforts to test new creative educational measures, the time it takes you to find out about the best food, the most trustable vet or the actual dog friendly hotels.
He has to go though a lot with you. And sometimes he`ll make you feel it. Because he´ll be picky with that overpriced food you bought, pee into the vet waiting room, bully the rest of the dog school group or just develop a stoic ignorance for any new training concept you introduce.
But the more ups and downs you experience together, the stronger the bond will be.
This might be the reason why your first dog, as bumpy as the road was you two were taking together, will always stay in a very special place in your heart. You always might love him that super tiny bit more than all the other dogs that will follow him. And that`s okay.
To make it worse, you might be one of those rare but wonderful people with that really big heart for dogs that are running out of chances.
Then you`ll most likely choose for a special case, like we many many years ago have chosen for a three legged, poorly socialized, Cane Corso that has in his life so far only experienced a traumatic accident, surgery and some years in the narrow walls of a dog shelter.
Even if you, like us, have grown up with dogs, this one might become a challenge. A bigger one you expected him to be.
There will be days were you ask yourself what you are doing, if you should bring him back to the shelter, if you are actually strong enough for this.
But if you manage to gain his trust, and if you push through the hardest days and keep on working, you`ll experience personal growth and the deepest love any being has ever given to you.
All of a sudden there will be way more moments of love, sweet charm and best case tons of humor.
Such as, when in the middle of the night you wait to enter an elevator for a last wee dog pee right outside the house, and as soon as the doors slide open, your Cane Corso with his limited interpersonal skills discovers his own image in the mirror at the end of the small elevator room and - without even one spark of thought - jumps forward to attack the "enemy", smashing his massive forehead against the mirror.
Well, both, the mirror and the dog, needed a short moment to ease their vibrations, but were relatively well off afterwards.
So this is to all the newly dog owners and the owners to be:
YES, do consider very carefully beforehand what you are signing up for.
And still, at the same time there will be tons of things you can´t imagine before you have experienced them. Go for it, it will be worth it. And keep every single moment savely stored in your heart. One day you will look back with a big smile on your face and tears in your eyes.
