I am a dog
mom now and I couldn’t be happier.
It’s been a
hot minute since I wrote my last post here and there’s a lot happened for the
past year. One of the biggest changes in my life is now I am a dog mom. It was
an impulse/sudden decision and our lives pivoted 360 degrees. She brings the
best of me even though she is not aware. I am just so blessed to have her in my
life.
Meet my dog
Chelsea. She is a now a one year old golden retriever. We had her since she was
8 weeks old. It was a sudden decision to have a dog and I literally just
mentioned to my partner: “Bakit hindi tayo mag-alaga ng aso?” and we just see
ourselves looking for a kennel and luckily we found Chelsea just in time.
Why
Chelsea?
This question has been asked a
lot because Chelsea is commonly a child’s name. Originally, we are planning to
name our dog Kobe [if it is male] and Harley [if female]. When we got Chelsea,
PCCI [Philippine Canine Club Inc] paper is ready. There’s already information
about the dog’s breed, date of birth of the dog, its sire and dam, colors and
specific markings. It also shows the genetic lineage of each dog. There were
couple of names to choose from and we chose the PCCI paper with a Chelsea name
on it and since then we just called her Chelsea.
I am not
one of those dog moms who have multiple dogs. I didn’t have any experience of
having a pet growing up and this is me just learning through the process. These
are the five things that I’ve learned so far:
1. The expenses.
We knew that we’d incur additional expenses
when getting a dog, but we never expected to be so much and the vet visits are
so often especially on her first two months with us. Having Chelsea seems like
having a child. From her foods, treats, supplements, grooming essentials vet
visits and toys it needs to be accounted for. It seems like pretty small amount
but if it accumulates, having a dog is costs a lot of money and she is now part
of our budget.
2. You’ll have to make some adjustments
We literally made our house *dog
proof*, I don’t even know if that word exists. We planned our furniture placement;
we made sure that Chelsea will not be able to reach electric wires and other
appliances. We didn’t have a gate on the main door of our house and we decided
to have a gate customized so that she will be able to see outside. We have
small gates going to the kitchen to make sure that she will not be able to go
there without guidance because we all knew what are the things that could cause
harm to dogs that are in the kitchen and we have a gate going to the bedroom, we just secure the gate and we don’t need to
close the door so that Chelsea will still be able to see us. She tends to be so
clingy and will bark nonstop if there is no human in her sight.
Before having a dog, I could go out
whenever I wanted. I could stay out all day or all night and I didn’t need to
think about anything other than myself. Gone are the days where I could go to
work for eight hours, and then immediately go out for dinner with colleagues
because I am thinking that there is a loving dog waiting for me to come back
home.
We need to plan our trips
accordingly. We need to make sure that on all the places we go, it should be
pet friendly. Sometimes it costs more if you bring your pets especially on some
resorts they are adding charges for your pet on your stay. Also, aside from
return to office situations, one of the reasons of us having a car is for us to
bring Chelsea on our trips.
3. Personal space is non-existent
That’s right. You no longer have a
personal space having a dog. Sometimes I wake up and Chelsea is beside me.
Everytime I go to a place or another she is following me, even on the comfort
room. If she is not with me inside, she will wait for me outside.
4. The shedding
I’ll admit, after some research about golden
retrievers I knew what I was getting myself into and I’ve accepted the fact
that there is Chelsea’s fur literally
everywhere, especially on our black clothes. We are cleaning every day to reduce
the fur in the surroundings. Vacuum cleaner and lint roller suddenly become our
best friends but still, a lot Chelsea’s glitters everywhere.
5. The unconditional love 24/7
Until you
have a dog, you’ll never know how strong that bond will be. We may be different,
but we understand each other. Dogs are great at sensing what kind of mood
you’re in. When I’m happy, she’s happy. I’m overwhelmed; he’s there to cuddle. She
kisses and licks to wipe my tears away when I am sad.
The best
thing is the unconditional love you get from a dog. No matter what happens, you’re
still their #1. Whether you’re having adventures outside or sitting and working
at home they’re just happy to be wherever you are. Everytime that I am from
outside after work, running some errands or even just to get a parcel, she
jumps and wags her tail nonstop to welcome me. I can’t imagine my life without her
now.
These are
just a few things that I’ve learned, I know that will there’s still a lot for
me to know, but for now I am the happiest just being a dog mom and I am crazy
about her. I am very excited to share our journey here on the blog.
How about
you, are you also a fur parent? What are the things that you’ve learned so far
with your fur baby? Let me know in the comments
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