The Trials And Tribulations Of Living With A Dog

By insaneone Aug 18, 2011

Oh boy, it’s summer and there is dog fur everywhere! Honestly, how can my dog have so many little black hairs? Shouldn’t she be bald by now? Yes, we bath her regularly, brush her frequently, she eats a high quality diet (well, as high a quality as I can afford to feed my dog), and yet she still sheds excessively. Should I admit that I inspect all our food with a magnifying glass to ensure that no stray locks have escaped my naked eye (and thorough cleaning) before serving to guests? Probably not but it’s out now.

My dog’s name is Penny and she is a genuine pound puppy. My husband likes to refer to her as a Huskador, his fancy way of combining the names of the breeds the animal shelter listed on her adoption paperwork. We really don’t know what she is but four years ago when we saw her at the animal shelter we knew she was the puppy we were looking for. She played well with the kids, was affectionate, and friendly. After the requisite veterinary appointments she was released to our supervision and full time care. And I do mean full time. Our perfect puppy soon because a handful. A word to the wise, do not adopt your dog in the winter if you live in a northern climate. It makes house breaking much more difficult.

Dogs are many things to many people. Over their history and throughout the world dogs have been domesticated for the purposes of companionship, hunting, protecting, traveling, herding and many other reasons. For some, dogs are like children and for others dogs are barely tolerated. Let’s face it, at some point in our lives we’ve all had a neighbor with a dog that barks non-stop. Hopefully you’ve also had the wonderful experience with dogs that I have.

It’s been a few years now and our cute, excessively furry puppy is a grown dog. I’m happy to report that Penny is the perfect companion to my children and a great running/skijoring partner for my husband and I. She truly brings great joy to our family. It’s hard to remember life without her perky disposition. A canine companion is not for everyone. If however you are a dog lover, living life without a dog is unthinkable; excessive shedding or not.