Lessons from having a dog
It's been a little over a month since Chia officially came into my home.
As a recap, I've done the stupid thing and decided to get myself a puppy in order to train it from the ground up to be my service dog. For anyone pursuing any sort of career, my unsolicited advice would be: don't unless you have a lot of time and patience.
But this post is not really about giving unsolicited advice. It is about introspection and realisations I had in the first month of being a first-time dog-daddy (still sounds super weird).
1. I'm not patient
Now, to those who know me, this is not really any news. Neither was it to me. But I was surprised just how irrationally angry I can get for such stupid reasons. Rationally, I know that my anger is directed at a baby of a different species who is only trying to communicate its needs and wants to me. Equally, I know that remaining calm is one of the keys to easy dog training. But seeing her squat literally 2 minutes after we came for a (much celebrated and rewarded) pee outside or refusing to walk for no (to me) apparent reason for the n-th time in a row does make me want to defenestrate her at the earliest opportunity.
2. It takes a village
I don't know how people raise their dogs alone, especially if they have a full-time job or are otherwise occupied. Research into dog behaviour and psychology has gone through the roof since the pandemic, and many common practices have been shown to impede dog's well-being and overall behaviour down the line. Things like "let it cry out" have been consistently shown to be counterproductive. What does that mean? That you need (and want to, really) spend much more time with your pup than you thought you would. And that's great...if you can. I can't, so despite my initial reluctance, I've learned to rely on others. And terrifying as that might be, I've grown to really appreciate everyone who pitched in to help.
3. A common mindset is not assumed
I've taken for granted living with a person who understands and shares my way of thinking in the past. Now, me sharing 2 books, a million Reddit threads and YouTube videos with my household does not mean they've actually seen/read these, let alone tried to apply them. So it's not surprising that just when the dog learns what a crate is, they get taken to a bed, or not taken out when they show the signs of need, and all of a sudden, crate is now a bad thing and potty ok is acceptable. This is a good managerial experience I suppose.
4. Embracing the simplicity
I was busy, overworked, and angry at life for most of the past month. And in that state, it's refreshing to just sit on a couch and pet the little one. Or run around with her in circles until one of us (usually me) passes out. I hate what it takes to do it, but no phones, no podcasts, no TVs, even just for a few minutes a day, is nice.
5. Learning the value of time
Having my own time was, for most of my life a given. Now, the hours alone are so much more precious. Need to go to a doctor? Why not soak it up and grab a coffee too? Spare time? I'm writing this at 2 am when everyone else is asleep. This is my time now.
6. I really really really don't like dogs
Despite all the good things, despite all the moments, despite how cute she is, I really don't like the fact that I have a dog. I don't like that I can't relax when I want to, I don't like that I can't go out when I want to, and I don't like the constant struggle for understanding. But she's so CUTE!
