Dogs vs. Puppies

I work at an animal shelter. As such, while I do not work directly with animals, I do get to hear stories. Something that is all too common (and makes me sick to think about) is the idea of people returning their pet once it gets to not be a baby animal anymore. Puppies and kittens are the cutest things ever, and some people just don't want to take care of a grown cat or dog.

I was never concerned that I would be like these people, but I always had a lingering concern that once Miles was full-grown, having a dog would lose its luster. I feel a little ashamed admitting that, but there it is. But then a funny thing happened. As our bond developed and our relationship started to mature, while his puppy hijinks were hilarious to be sure, the things he does now are WAY funnier, and I have such an appreciation of where he is developmentally. He still surprises me almost every day with how brilliant of a dog he truly is, and I have to say that I think I was worried that the learning and surprise would go away as he got older. It doesn't go away, it just changes shape, is what I've learned. It's way more exciting when he learns a new thing, because we're not just teaching him sit and high five anymore. I've started working on "roll over" and my favorite? "Where's the kitty?" It usually results in this:


Yup, he's sitting on the back of the couch, looking for kitties. I also went "Miles! Go get Bern!" the other day and he found Bernie and licked his bum for a little while. Bernie was not impressed, but Miles understood! So I was really excited. His favorite spot in the whole apartment has become the back of that couch, so I have started to call him my dogcat.

So, while reminiscing on hilarious puppy pictures every once in a while puts a smile on my face, things like that above picture do it more, because we're finally starting to understand each other. He makes me laugh literally every single day. For instance, today I laughed at him because the times where I have brought him outside, he stuck his nose directly in the snow and just loves digging around in it. He is a hardcore snow lover, and it's so fun to bring him outside in it because he just is so excited to be there.

I think I'm just sentimental because Miles is about to turn one, on January 31, to be exact. I still can't believe that we've had him for almost 10 months, and he's not only alive, but he's also an awesome, awesome dog. He's such a good boy.