I've Adopted A Puppy. What An Adult Thing To Do.
Teresa and I have been kicking around the idea of adopting a dog for sometime. Up in Oregon, we got as far as submitting adopting papers for a dog. We weren’t first in line, so the dog was adopted by someone else. Since Teresa just finished up school for the summer, we decided this would be a good time to adopt a puppy. We knew it would be a lot of work, but it would be easier with both of us around the house.
Once we finally decided to go for it, everything happened very fast. Teresa visited SPCALA while I was working. She found a dog she loved. She described a docile Border Collie Mix. After work, I rushed over the the SPCALA to visit with the little guy. Immediately, I liked him. In the getting to know you room, we sat on the floor. I rubbed his belly and he moaned with delight. He didn’t bark at all, and he was gentle with both Teresa and me. This was going to be our dog.
We weren’t able to take him home right away; he had to be neutered. We only had to wait about 24 hours. Again, it was all so fast. I was just mentally preparing for the idea of a dog, and I had a dog to call my own.
While waiting for his surgery, we contemplated a few names. I provided a few ideas, and Teresa provided a few ideas. We even got some help from naming books. We didn’t make the final call until he came home from the vet. In the end, Mr. Echo was the winner! We’re calling him Echo for short.
Lucky for Teresa and I, Emily and Chelsea just arrived for a visit. They were here when the little guy came home from the vet. Its been wonderful to have a couple extra pairs of hands. He has been really great with people, but he is getting use to socializing with other dogs. He is better at socializing with the cats, but its more ignoring than socializing. We’ve been walking him around the neighborhood, and he is pretty decent on the leash. We’ve also started crate training which is really hard. He doesn’t like the crate at first, but he eventually calms himself.
So far, this experience is a bit surreal. I can’t believe I’ve made the jump to dog ownership. I know it comes with a lot of responsibility. I know I’ve lost a few freedoms. That being said, dogs add to your quality of life. I’m looking forward to enjoying the dog beach with Mr. Echo. Once he is a bit older and trained, I know today’s decision and tomorrow’s hard work will be worth it.
Comments
You got a dog? Congrats, looks like fun.
That's awesome! Congratulations. He looks cute. I'm surprised you didn't name him Internet. Also, I sometimes forget that you live in California but the photo in your photostream titled "walking mr. echo" really reminded me. wow, that's crazy you live in that kind of weather/area.
