Who Let the Dogs Out

My childhood was full of love from family pets. We had dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish, you name it. Pets were part of our lives.

My husband, on the other hand, had zero animals as a kid. He planned on a pet-free lifestyle until he met me. Lucky for him, I had three cats when we started dating. Contrary to what you might be thinking, I was not the crazy cat lady. I was the events director at the Humane Society and I rescued all three of my boys: Toby, Tyler and Taylor. (Yes, those were their real names.)

After we got married he dropped the truth bomb and told me that disliked cats! Are you serious? He kept that under wraps for two years. He even scooped the litter box when I was pregnant! How could he not like cats? He informed me that once the kitties crossed the Rainbow Bridge our house would become a pet-free zone.

That was true for about five years until our daughters started asking for a puppy. Of course I wanted another pet. The only thing holding me back was that we were potty training Adriana and I didn’t want two things peeing and pooping all over the house. Adriana and Ella occasionally made the puppy request, but they didn’t push it. Before long, I was on their side and it was time to find our furry friend. My husband was adamantly opposed — and the answer was a hard no. I began my search anyway.

I discretely started cruising the puppy personals on Facebook and Craig’s List. It quickly escalated to doing shelter drive-bys. I was searching for the perfect pet with the same enthusiasm I had when I was hunting for the perfect husband. I was slightly obsessed. I found an adorable puppy on Craig’s List but got cold feet just before the meet-and-greet. I kept thinking I was going to be the victim of the next Craig’s List Killer and my body would never be found because I was searching for a dog behind my husband’s back.

I finally found the cutest Chihuahua mix at a local rescue. I decided to take the girls to meet the puppy which meant I had to confess my secret mission to the hubster. He insisted on going with us to dog block me. But once we arrived, it was love at first site. That cute puppy was also smart and went straight for my husband’s lap. Game over — I win! I watched his bitter, pet-less inner child disappear. We named the five-pound black and white fur ball Diesel.

The first two weeks were tough. Having a puppy is like having a newborn. Potty training, sleep training, keeping him entertained. I cleaned up lots of messes. Diesel hated the crate and wouldn’t go in. Adriana loved it and would crawl in with her blanket. Awesome, I have successfully crate-trained my preschooler! Coincidentally, every time I took him outside for a potty break, she pooped too — just not in the grass.

The nights were the worst. He didn’t whimper — he howled like he was being tortured. I slept on the couch with him for a few days so he didn’t wake the girls. This sleep-deprived momma couldn’t take it anymore; after a week of tears, into our bed he went. I was really concerned about his aversion to the crate; I needed help. I am a tad bit of a helicopter mom, so why should the dog be any different? I called an expert to come over and make sure I wasn’t screwing him up. (Hmm, maybe I should do that for the kids too!)

I was relieved to hear that he is fine, I am fine, we are all normal — he is just a puppy. The last hurdle was keeping Diesel alive and teaching Adriana that her hugs should not look like wrestling moves. Diesel has settled in very well; he is the perfect addition to our family. Recently, I have thought about adopting another dog so he has a buddy. We’ve had him less than a year, and already I want a second. I hope my love for the pup doesn’t wake some dormant hoarding tendency. I am researching adorable adoptables as we speak.

Shhhh — don’t tell my hubby.