Puppy Love

I found myself flipping through the channels the other day when I came across the ever-popular tearjerker flick, “Marley and Me.” The effect a dog has on a person is nothing less than impressive. There I was, sitting in my room, tears streaming down my face (I share this with the utmost honesty and see no shame in showing emotion outwardly). Any pet can bring joy into a person’s life. Cats are debatable, but dogs have such a love for humans. Despite the dog’s incessant behavior to dig up the trash or mark it’s territory in the house when an unwelcome dog comes to visit, we, as owners and dog lovers, still find a special place in our hearts for these adorable creatures.

I’ve been missing my dog a great deal recently. Tessa is a labradoodle and a big lovable white fur ball. We often think she is a human being in a dog suit. Her eyes are expressive and her feelings can get hurt very easily. Now, in all honesty, when I read blogs about other people’s dogs, I can get a little bored. I mean, who wants to hear about someone else’s dog when you know your dog is far better than anyone else’s? But here I am, missing my dog and wanting to talk about her. Feel free to tune out, but be advised, she’s a unique character.

I’ll tell you, she’s not perfect. She farts, on average, about 15 times a day. And they smell about 15 times worse than any human flatulence. On the upside, whenever one of the family members rips one, if Tessa is in the room, we blame her. She’s a wonderful excuse. Another imperfection is her fu Manchu. This Asian-looking mustache always is a little moist, so a person must maneuver their hand around the moving muzzle in order to dodge her wet nose and pat her on the head. Because she has the appearance of a dread-locked sheepdog, she requires frequent grooming and the occasional bath to remove the smelly lab odor.

With all these imperfections, you would think that having a dog like this would be a chore. And it is. But Tessa is one of the most caring, engaging, and endearing dogs. She treats you like her puppies. When she sits under the table at dinnertime, if your feet are close to her, she’ll tenderly lick you in between the toes with her warm tongue. Yes, it’s gross, and sometimes I hate it. But I know she loves us and it’s her way of showing it. She’s getting to be an old lady, so she’s falls asleep easily. You can always hear her little happy sighs as she dreams about a field of puppies, all for her to care for. She’s such a mother, and we love her.

While I’m at school, I miss being around dogs, so in order to get my puppy fix, I look at pictures of adorable dogs on pinterest or Katelyn James’ new cuddly puppy, Bokeh. Man, I can’t wait to live in my own house and get a dog of my own! For now, I’m just a hopeless puppy lover.

With her Christmas present,

or more like our Christmas present