New Dog Owner Odyssey: Day 2

First of all, I am a new dog owner, not a new dog owner, since my dog is 4-years-old. I think that's the equivalent of 28-human years, which makes him a peer of my children.

Secondly, don't go looking for Day 1. There is no Day 1, because I (we) acquired this dog yesterday, MON 7/29/15. I didn't have the time or emotional energy to blog about this dog yesterday, plus I didn't make the intellectual(?) decision to start a "New Dog Owner Odyssey" Blog until after I went to bed last night. [By the way, the same principle applies re: my other blogging. First & foremost, I do this for my own amusement; for self-therapy. If you are amused or derive any benefit from it, well, that's just a bonus for me. You are always invited & encouraged to comment, as long as you keep in mind my fragile emotional & mental conditions. SEE "Mental Health Monday" blogs."]

Thirdly, as I took Sammy [Isn't that a cute name? And I must point out that I didn't even get to name my own dog.] for his first walk in Norfolk, NE, already last night, I had an incredible, I must say with all (false) modesty, insight. As we made myriad stops at a plethora (one of my favorite words) of hydrants, power poles, & trees, so that Sammy (adorable?!) could smell, then mark, I realized that for a dog, this is like going onto Facebook! 

It was suggested to me by a friend (Thank you, John Dinkel, & I mean that sincerely) already several months ago that I could really use a dog while on my "sabbatical." Besides providing companionship, it would also require me to walk it regularly, thus mandating regular exercise, & add a purpose for living.

I agreed in theory, & Lois & I (mostly Lois) have been discussing the acquisition of a dog since the beginning of summer. My position has consistently been:

• Let me wrap my head around this concept. I haven't had a dog since I was a boy, when our family had a series of dogs, some of which were, how shal I say, not the ideal family companions. [Ask my brother & sister about that.]
• For sure we need to wait until our summer road trips are completed, & we were looking at a lot of road trips, most of which I've either referenced in my blog or other FB posts.
• IF (& there's a reason I put that in all caps), and I emphasize again, IF I accede to what I know will be a drastic change in my lifestyle, I demand a direct say in the specific dog that is to become my companion.
• Let's admit that Lois has always been the animal-whisperer in our relationship. Therefore, it would be reasonable to conclude that using the pronoun "my" in conjunction with any animal we acquired would be questionable.
• After watching many videos on YouTube, a baby goat looked awfully appealing to me & would also provide lawn care services.

But I digress. Lois & Rachel (my youngest but perhaps craftiest daughter) went to Sioux City yesterday (7/29) for a "girls day out." While there, they visited the Sioux City Animal Shelter & acquired Sammy, a black, 4-year-old, Lab mix. I was on the phone w/Nathan when I heard the garage door opening, & I commented, "Uh-oh, I just remembered that I parked the car in the middle of the garage. I thought I would get some errands run before Mom got home, so now I'm going to get yelled at."

I heard the back door open. I heard the pitter-patter of little feet. For an instant I surmised it was Bentley, my 2-year-old grandson, but just as instantly I recognized the sound of multiple appendages with toenails attached to them. A dog! You guessed it. Bentley walked into the living room, followed by Sammy, followed by Lois (with a, dare I say, sheepish grin on her face), with Rachel close behind. 

When I asked--being the astute observer that I am--"This is NOT our dog, is it?--Lois' quick nod 'yes,' still accompanied by that look, quickly affirmed my astute observation. This immediately explained why I didn't get yelled out for her inability to park her car in the garage right away.

Then Rachel presented me with a bag of honey-crunch peanuts, which she picked up at a C-store, where the entourage had stopped to "rest" on the way home. Oh, no, it had nothing to do w/bribery! How could I even suspect such a thing.

So, I had many, many questions, but let's put together some deductions.

• My grandson, whom I adore, entered the house with the dog.
• My wife didn't yell at me for making it impossible for her to park the car in the garage right away.
• My daughter brought me honey-crunch peanuts.

Was I more annoyed about suddenly becoming a dog owner without having all my conditions met? Or was I more annoyed at the thought that I could be "bought off" by the appearance of my grand-son, the lack of a spouse's temper tantrum, and a cheap (but tasty, I'll admit, & favorite, I'll also admit) snack food?

Time to wrap this up, so I'll admit that it didn't take me long to grow somewhat fond of Sammy. So far we haven't heard him bark. So far he hasn't "done his business" in the house. He went into his cage last night w/o protest & didn't whine during the night. He went for a solo walk with me last night & did his business. I quickly mastered the technique of using a plastic sack to handle his waste product (although walking back home, carrying a bag of the afore-mentioned waste product was not keeping with my self-image as the administrator of the only LHS in Northeast NE). He comes when called. He chases squirrels. (I hate squirrels.) And he went for another solo walk with me this morning.