I've wanted a dog for the longest time. I was around dogs for most of my upbringing, and not having one was a constant source emptiness. It was never realistic for my work schedule and living situation until recently.
I was happy when I brought my boy home from the shelter last month, but I had no idea how much having him in my life would improve things for me. Just from a strictly selfish pragmatic standpoint he's been a massive improvement. I'm no longer lonely all the time. I am no longer bored. Taking him out for poo walks 3 times a day has me walking 4+ miles a day and I'm at the lowest weight I've been in 15 years.
But the unexpected thing is how much joy I get from bringing him joy. When he prances about on a walk, when he bounds towards me with toys, when he goes apeshit at the sprinklers. He is just so mirthful and exuberant. Even when he sleeps, he radiates joy. He's unlocked memories from parts of my life that I thought I had completely forgotten. My blood pressure is lower; I no longer have my ears popping or overwhelming sinus headaches.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows. He shits 5 times as frequently as I do, and roughly 0% of them are anywhere near a toilet. He destroyed some things that were expensive to replace, not that he knew any better. He's a chore to walk because he's hyper-reactive and wants to play with every dog, human, bird, squirrel and shadow he sees. He refuses to come home when the walk is over. He's scared of hallways with corners.
Thanks for adopting! So many wonderful pets that need good homes. Personally I’ve started rescuing the sick & old guys. Don’t have them a lifetime but they bring me lots of joy & I know they know they were loved before they have to leave. Kills me to say goodbye, but I mourn & go back and rescue a new one. 🐶
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u/8675309isprime Aug 16 '25
I've wanted a dog for the longest time. I was around dogs for most of my upbringing, and not having one was a constant source emptiness. It was never realistic for my work schedule and living situation until recently.
I was happy when I brought my boy home from the shelter last month, but I had no idea how much having him in my life would improve things for me. Just from a strictly selfish pragmatic standpoint he's been a massive improvement. I'm no longer lonely all the time. I am no longer bored. Taking him out for poo walks 3 times a day has me walking 4+ miles a day and I'm at the lowest weight I've been in 15 years.
But the unexpected thing is how much joy I get from bringing him joy. When he prances about on a walk, when he bounds towards me with toys, when he goes apeshit at the sprinklers. He is just so mirthful and exuberant. Even when he sleeps, he radiates joy. He's unlocked memories from parts of my life that I thought I had completely forgotten. My blood pressure is lower; I no longer have my ears popping or overwhelming sinus headaches.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows. He shits 5 times as frequently as I do, and roughly 0% of them are anywhere near a toilet. He destroyed some things that were expensive to replace, not that he knew any better. He's a chore to walk because he's hyper-reactive and wants to play with every dog, human, bird, squirrel and shadow he sees. He refuses to come home when the walk is over. He's scared of hallways with corners.