Getting Used To Pets

Getting Used To Pets

I visited a friend of mine last night and she has the cutest dog. I’m not much of a pet-lover, I must admit. Growing up we only had one pet, and he stayed in the backyard most of the time in his own house. He was a sweet puppy, but as he got older he got considerably excited about everything and I just made the decision to steer clear. Most of my other experiences with dogs include getting chased down the street and when I wasn’t being chased I would be well aware as a youngster that I needed to watch my back around many of the neighborhood dogs or be prepared to possibly lose a chunk of my behind.

As an adult, I can’t say I have fared much better with dogs. I recall attending a baby shower a few years ago and the hostess’ dog spent the entire time jumping all over everyone. He was a large dog, too, so it got to be a bit unbearable. Looking back, I really blame the owner, I mean, it was a baby shower, not Golden Gate Park.

Getting back to my friend’s dog, after a couple of hours of visiting with her and another friend, I noticed that her pet was very quiet and stayed to himself. As soon as I asked about him, his ears perked up and he made his way over to the dining room table. Before I knew it, I started petting him, and when I realized how much he was enjoying the attention, I continued to talk with him and rub his head. Whenever I would stop, he would make every gesture he could think to let me know that he wanted me to continue. When I finally left my friend’s house to return home, I started thinking about how nice it would be to own one of my own, and the thought surprised me a little.

After spending several years feeling threatened by dogs, I had decided that if I ever owned a pet, it would be a cat. Cats seemed clean, and were very discreet and aloof. Sounded like an ideal situation to me, until I was once again visiting a friend and the resident cats (there were three of them, I think) decided that they didn’t know me and that I didn’t belong there. They circled, jumped, and became a lot more aggressive than I ever would have expected from some housecats. Once I found out about the fur balls and scratched up furniture, I decided that I would remain a petless woman.

I have come full circle with regard to dogs. I’m still not totally convinced that I’m ready to take care of one, but I’ll tell you, they are a heck of a lot more fun than cats. They love to be around you, can be helpful, and will even protect you if the need arose. What more can you ask for in a pet? As far as dressing them up in capes and hats and furs and all that junk, you can keep it, but Pet ID Tags will work and you can get as creative as you want with those without getting weird about it. It feels good to be a little more tolerant of dogs, and it helps me understand people who have formed strong attachments to theirs as well. Who would have thought one cute little fluffy dog could make the world seem a little better?

Chandra Adams
Author
Shades of Retribution
www.AdrolitePress.com
www.ChandraAdams.com