Life is sweeter with a dog

Girl Meets Dog: How Sweet It Is

 

 

Life is sweeter with a dog. You probably already knew this, but I am only now seeing life with a doggie by my side.  

Two months ago my husband and I adopted a 3-year-old rescue from Thailand. He was insistent, I was hesitant. Thankfully we were matched with perfect pooch and none of my worries have come to pass. In fact, as you can imagine, Tessie is a total joy.

Having Tessie has introduced me to the friendly dog community I had never realized existed. We live by a great, large park, which Tessie and I walk every morning. We’ve met some lovely new people and pups, even though Tessie’s not too fond of other dogs at the moment. We’re working on it, but I feel the need to explain why Tessie is giving another dog the cold shoulder. Inevitably the conversation goes something like:

“I’m sorry, she’s scared of other dogs,” I say.

“Is she a puppy?” he or she asks.

“No, but she’s new to us.”

“Good for you!” or “All she needs is love!” or “Thank you for saving her!”

How’s that for starting the day off on the right foot?

At Tessie’s first grooming appointment, I was a mess. I arrived late, and I was surprisingly nervous. This groomer came highly recommended, but it was the first time I was leaving her with a stranger. In true dog community fashion, Merissa from Diamond in the Ruff (who recognized us from the park!) put me at ease. Back at home, I was struck by how quiet the house seemed to be without Tessie. She doesn’t make much noise, but I had the nagging sense of loneliness while I waited to pick her up. No tags chiming around her collar every time she lifts her head. No deep breathing while she naps in her bed. I was so eager to pick her up, I arrived before they called. She did great and smelled even better.

This past weekend my husband and I went to a nature reserve to see the daffodils in bloom. Bringing Tessie turned a walk in the woods into an adventure, and we loved watching her explore a new place. Tessie sat alongside us as we basked in the peaceful daffodil garden, sipping our coffee. If there was a moment that made me feel like a true pet owner, this was it. We took a ton of photos to commemorate the trip, including a great family photo.

Tessie did a bit of exploring during Easter as well. She finally met my family, who all fell in love with her sweet face and disposition. She also met her fur family (three Chihuahuas!), which has helped with her aversion to other dogs. She did great around a full house of new people, including the kiddos. She’s a dream in the car, and slept through the two-hour ride.

The best part of having a dog – hands down – is coming home to that happy face and wagging tail. Tessie does this adorable thing where she nods her head and lets out a faint cry in excitement when we walk through the door. Pure joy. She spends the evenings by our side, curled up in her bed, or if we’re lucky, she joins us on the couch.

I can’t help but feel Tessie completes our family. I am blessed to have lots of love in my life, and I could have lived without Tessie, I guess. But life is just better now that she’s here. Sure, I’m never early to work anymore and I’m covered in dog hair. It’s just a small price to pay for all the sweetness I get from Tessie every day.
 

Freshly groomed Tessie

 Maria Poulos Pimentel is a New Jersey transplant now settled in New England.   Maria works in marketing and publicity by day and snuggles with her sweet collie/shepherd/husky Tessie by night. She was a reluctant dog owner at first, but she's quickly learning the ropes and discovering all the joys of doggie parenting. Maria will be sharing more of her adventures in dog love with PawsGo.

Tessie was adopted through Odie’s Place, a small privately run animal rescue program in Massachusetts.  Learn more about them here!   http://www.odiesplace.org/

 

 

Girl Meets Dog: A Reluctant Love Story

 

The boxes weren’t even unpacked before it began: “When can we get a dog?”

This question wasn’t from a child unaware of the responsibilities and commitment a pet requires, but from my husband, who grew up with a pug and had been itching to have another pup in his life. Now with the purchase of our first home, complete with a fully fenced-in backyard and across the street from a large park, his time had come. Or so he thought.

The barking, the shedding, the walks in variable New England weather – I couldn’t imagine it. I grew up with a few birds, two hamsters and a hermit crab; apartment living in urban New Jersey didn’t lend itself to pets much larger. While my sister and parents have since each adopted a Chihuahua, I didn’t know – or care to see – the benefits of having your own dog. I saw dogs as I do children: cute and fun, but I’m happy to enjoy someone else’s. My new, clean house wasn’t missing anything. Or so I thought.

I was able to hold off until the following spring, until the Facebook page of a shelter (Odie’s Place Animal Rescue) featured a Yorkie in need of a home. If there was one breed of dog I could see in our house, she was it. My husband was thrilled I had taken an interest in getting a dog, and I think he was shocked I took the initiative to fill out the required questionnaire. Before I knew it, we had a home visit scheduled.

 

While Odie’s Place would be happy to place a dog with us, the Yorkie wasn’t the right fit. Plus, my husband had envisioned a larger dog to take on runs and hikes, and I could see he was growing hesitant of a tiny, potentially yappy breed. Not to worry, said Odie’s Place. A rescue from Thailand was “perfection” for us. Would we be interested in meeting a Border Collie/Shepherd/Husky mix? I wasn’t too keen on a long-haired, non-hypoallergenic dog, but the train had left the station. Yes, we’ll meet her and commit to a home trial.

Tessie enjoying her morning walk

 On March 5, 2016, my future love pranced into my living room. Her foster parents dropped her off, filling us in on her back story: around 3 years of age, she was on the streets of Thailand until she was hit by car in November 2015 when she was taken in by a local Thai shelter that provided rehab, including water therapy, until she was back up and running. The couple volunteered for Soi Dog, a not-for-profit that helps the homeless, neglected and abused dogs and cats of Thailand, and it also works to end the dog meat trade throughout the region. They each flew back to the U.S. with five dogs, with all 10 dogs already committed to a home. To our luck, the family who was interested in our future love fell through, so they reached out to Odie’s Place to help them find the right home for her.

 

Tables give dogs extra space in crowded Thai shelters,
which could explain Tessie's love of hopping up on our picnic table. 

 

 
She was sweet and mild-mannered from the very beginning. She seldom barks and barely sheds. She is the reason I wake up and finally take the daily morning walks I promised myself. We knew she was meant to be ours the same day she walked into our lives. We re-named her Tessie and haven’t looked back. She truly is perfection.

I shudder to think about how I almost let my fears and ill-conceived notions of dogs get in the way of having Tessie here with us. I know now why people love their dogs, talk to them and treat them as their baby – all things that used to make me roll my eyes. But now I’m one of them, one of you, I should say. Tessie has me wrapped around her paw, and I couldn’t be happier.

 Maria Poulos Pimentel is a New Jersey transplant now settled in New England.   Maria works in marketing and publicity by day and snuggles with her sweet collie/shepherd/husky Tessie by night. She was a reluctant dog owner at first, but she's quickly learning the ropes and discovering all the joys of doggie parenting. Maria will be sharing more of her adventures in dog love with PawsGo.