The truth about cats and dogs

As most of you know, we got a dog. I have always grown up with dogs in the house, and so I had been missing their company since I went away to college. I'd been asking Adam for a pup for awhile, and made him promise me we could get one once we moved out of our college apartments.  

Having Kaleo has been a joy, really -- I know sometimes I make it sound like we don't like him, but really, we do. We have just learned a LOT along the way.

You have to constantly watch them, or keep them in a crate. We got Kaleo when he was 5 months old, so he was already crate trained (but not quite house trained. There's a big difference). But still, there is so much work that goes into a dog. I've realized when you're getting a dog, and mom and dad aren't there to help you, it's pretty much like throwing a panting, shaggy two year old in your face. You have to teach them where and when to poo and pee, not to eat every single item that lands on the floor or chew on the floorboards, our clothes, or the carpet. 

They require a lot of exercise. And, when you get a dog, you're not just getting a living, breathing, pooping, drinking creature - you're getting a running partner. Even if you don't run - you better start. 

Of course, I started doing my research on dogs, Shelties, and dog training after we got Kaleo, when I realized I had no idea what I was doing. It was then that I learned dogs need like, an hour of exercise everyday! This means I have to get up early and walk him for a half hour before I leave the house, and another half hour when we get home. I honestly do enjoy this time with Kaleo and being outside - something I wouldn't normally do if it weren't for him, but if you're not anticipating walking or exercising with your dog, you better think twice before getting a puppy! A tired dog is a happy dog --- I can tell when I've been slacking in walking with him - we come home to plastic bags ripped up and all over the floor, a tomato plant completely eaten - with only dirt left to prove it once existed, and the corners of the cupboards gnawed off. But when I do walk him, he just sleeps during the day. A much better greeting when I get home.

Dogs are expensive. We pay an extra monthly fee to have him in our apartment, we buy big bags of dog food to keep him healthy, we payed for obedience classes so he would be a polite pooch, we shoved handfuls of cash into the vets face to get shots, we pay for anti-flea and tick stuff, as well as a once-a-month heartworm prevention. It's no wonder we just give him empty milk jugs and soda bottles for toys - there's no money left to buy him new ones!

Training them is a royal pain the butt. If you ever stop being consistent in your expectations of them - say you let them in the bedroom just once when you normally don't - from then on out, they will assume that bedroom is theirs for the strolling. If you say a command you have to mean it, and if you mean it, you must enforce it (yes I've been watching a bit too much Ceasar). Meh - we're also a bit stricter than other dog parents, I bet.

Being around other people's dogs gives you a more honest picture of your own dog. We thought we were being horrible trainers/owners, and that our dog was just a pyscho and would never learn and we were just in over our heads. Then we went to obedience class and met all these other, much more pyscho dogs, and then ours didn't look so bad afterall. And we realized we were just being really hard on ourselves, and expecting too much out of our 7 month old pup. He's still just a kid - we've cut him, and ourselves, some slack since then.

Here is Adam beginning the "4 Corners" competition.

We graduated from Beginner's class and won 2nd place in the competition!

This is Kaleo with his best bud Sam, our neighbor's dog. 

He stayed with us for 5 days, and it taught us one more lesson:

If you're gonna get one dog, 

you're better off getting two - 

they wear each other out and it actually lessens your own work load!

So the moral of the story?

We love our dog. 

He's a lot of work, but he's worth it.
He has added another dimension of love to our relationship

(I know, I know, just wait till we have kids...)

If you don't have the time and/or energy ---

get a cat.

They're just as cute, even more cuddly, and a whole heck of a lot easier.