No, not a child--definitely not. My girlfriend of three years is having a birthday soon and I want to get her a really awesome gift. For years she has expressed that she wants a puppy, but being on the UNCW volleyball team has kept her from being able to fully commit to owning an animal. Now that her senior season is over, I thought it would be the perfect time for her to own a dog.
So I contacted my sister, who works for an animal hospital, and asked her if she knew of any dogs who needed adopting. She found the puppy shown above.
He is four months old and weighs 15 pounds. He is half cocker spaniel and part pug/beagle and probably won't end up weighing more than 25 pounds when he is grown. And since my sister works for an animal hospital, she would make sure the dog has all its shots, provide crate/toys/leash, get it neutered, and give 12 months of heart worm, tick, and flea prevention medicine.
I didn't want to surprise my girlfriend with the dog so I told her about the opportunity I came across and informed her of how my sister would help with the expenses. At first, she was really excited. But then she started to analyze the the decision and began asking questions like: Is now the best time to own a dog? Am I ready for the responsibility? What if the dog gets sick and I can't afford an operation?
So rather than presenting what I thought was an exciting opportunity, I have created a dilemma that has caused my girlfriend to question her maturity and evaluate if she is capable of caring for another life.
To me, she is overanalyzing the decision. I know she would be a great mother for this dog and the transition into becoming an animal owner will be easier than she thinks. But ultimately I know that she has to decide if she is ready for this responsibility.
So on Friday, we are driving to Raleigh to visit my sister and see the dog in person. I am hoping that my girlfriend will realize that the dog is a good decision and she and I will have a puppy to play with--but I know that is a selfish way to think.
Honestly, I am just hoping she will realize how independent and responsible she really is and that she is mature enough to take on this type of responsibility. But we will just have to wait until the weekend.
First of all, if she doesn't want that dog, I'll take it. I agree with you that your girlfriend may be overanalyzing the situation. Puppies are not babies (obviously), and though they require a lot of care and attention, owning a dog is not nearly as much of a commitment as having a kid. For one, you can't leave a baby at home (or outside) for a few hours while you go to work/class (unless you really wanted to know what the inside of a jail looked like). Puppies are awesome. And I'm sure she'll come around. Then, you can bring it to class for Show and Tell. Wooo!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to your girlfriend's over-analyzation! Just this weekend, I went to lunch with my Grandma and saw a bunch of huge, beautiful Saint Bernard's just waiting to be adopted. While I realize that this type of dog requires a lot more attention due to its obvious difference in size, eating habits, coat, and proneness to illness, the fact of the matter is that my sister and I have dreamed of having one for YEARS. I just love everything about them... Anyway, I have a 2 year old and realized that although our house could be the perfect place for this dog with endless love, we're just not home enough and it's a matter of selfishness as well. I really want to be able to go wherever I want whenever I want, and having a small child makes that hard enough! :) It really is a pain for my friends who have animals to go out of town and figure out who can take the dog... I, for one, freely admit that I am the friend who can come up with any and every excuse not to pet-sit. It really isn't the expenses that bother me... it's all that pressure!
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