Last night my dog Boris turned 4, so we threw a little party for him – a dog birthday party? Why, yes.
Why my dog is the best
Boris turned 4 so I made him a doggie cake out of tinned food with a little people food mixed in (he likes bananas). Then we watched a movie. Well, I watched, and Boris farted and lied there. Dogs are the best. Boris is half sheltie, half blue tick hound, which means he’s very cool looking and a great, loyal dog. Kris and I got him from a shelter in Saskatchewan after seeing him on the internet and driving about 15 hours to get him. We made a road trip out of it, but it was still a haul. He was a puppy then, and he cried like crazy the whole trip back. It sucked. Neither of us has spent a lot of time with a baby of any kind, so we were very worried that we had done something wrong or made the right choice.
Listening to a puppy cry is heartbreaking. No one told us it would get better, but it did. Once Boris was big enough we started taking him to obedience classes, and there we learned a lot about our dog and other people’s dogs too.
How you can get the best dog: Research
And here’s the thing about that: most people choose the wrong dog. You can see it. They thought the dog was cute, or trendy, or would be easy because of reasons XYZ but that’s never the case. The truth is, having a dog is hard and awesome no matter what, but you have to commit. You have to know that the crappy will come with the good, just like any relationship.
What’s my point, Mogo readers? Research. Read up on the dog you’re getting, to make sure it’s the right dog for your house size, your lifestyle, your personality. If you’re getting a purebred, this can be easier, but mutts come with their own challenges. If you’re adopting—and you definitely should—make sure you learn as much as possible about where your dog came from. Talk to different people at the shelter or adoption center who hung out with your dog. Understand the risks and responsibilities.
Take a test ride (Dog-sitting)
The best thing Kris and I ever did was dogsit for our friends Shane and Dana when they went to Mexico. It was the year before we got Boris—Soba came later—and we had their dog Prince for 10 days. It was serious business. Fun too, but serious. Prince was a handful but he was also just a dog. We learned how much work was ahead, but how a dog can cheer you up like nothing else too. I recommend it.
Talk to people
I also recommend talking to other dog owners, and making friends so your dogs can play. It sounds like having a kid, doesn’t it? It kinda is.
