Puppy Love

As many of you have heard me say, I have been yearning to own a dog. All the apartments where I have lived so far do not allow pets, so I’ve been waiting for the proper time to find an apartment or house that will let me keep a dog. And I’ll probably be waiting for some time.

But this weekend, I can at least pretend that I have a puppy. The chair of the English Department asked me if I could doggy-sit for her while she visits relatives for Easter. Apparently the dog, a white shih tzu-poodle mix named Holly, has abandonment issues and when left alone will gnaw and piddle on every object within reach. Because of this case of canine psychological trauma, I have to stay overnight at the house every night, play with her, and walk her at least three times a day.

Last night, I was enchanted with her. We cuddled on the couch and watched a movie, and we had a wonderful walk through the neighborhood. All throughout the walk, Holly was trying to get free from me to chase some of the many (and I mean many) rabbits in this little subdivision. By the end of the evening, I vowed that I would be getting a dog as soon as possible.

This morning, my happy dreams of spending time with a perfect pet were crushed by some rather naughty behavior. While I was in the shower, Holly piddled all over my bed (though luckily avoiding the bedspread and pillows) and then just sat on the bed to wait for me to discover her crime. I had no idea that a dog that small could have such a large bladder. As if that weren’t bad enough, we had a close encounter with a rabbit during the 5:45 am walk. Holly took off like a light particle after the rabbit, and I chased after them both, shouting at one or both of them to stop and basically shattering the early-morning tranquility.

I have been thoroughly disillusioned. I now know (or “remember”, I should say) that owning a dog is a messy, noisy, smelly, hair-covered experience. I still want one, though.