Living Vicariously

In a meeting with some of my colleagues today I let it slip out that I used to be a dog blogger. That sounded strange. Used to be. But what else could I say? It has been a long time since I've updated this, and you know it's bad when the first paragraph of every new blog entry says something about having not updated the blog in forever. Continuing that theme...

The reason my dog blogger identity came out is because two of the people I work with have recently brought home new puppies...one a Chocolate Lab and the other a German Shepherd. Looking at their adorable puppy pictures I get a twinge of longing. There is nothing quite like the experience of getting a puppy. They are 24/7 entertainment. They fill your life with cuteness and playfulness and puppy breath. They chew on your hands, wash your face and work their way into your heart. And that goes both ways. Dogs make us feel good and scientific studies show they even make us healthier.

We all know that raising a puppy is no picnic. It's not for the faint-hearted or for those who desire a clean, chaos-free environment. Still, it is so worth every "accident," every chewed shoe and every sleep-deprived night to get to that point where your dog is just such an integral part of your daily life you can't imagine your life without him or her.

I only wish dogs lived longer. But in the relatively short time they are with us, they make our lives better. I wouldn't trade those 13 years with Baxter for anything.

So...back to puppies. Despite my ability to wax on about the joys of getting a puppy, I'm in no hurry to add a third dog to our household. (I came close with a senior Griff in rescue last month...but I soon realized that putting that dear old dog in a house with a year-and-a-half old gonzo Griff and a little Napoleon dog who thinks HE rules the roost, might not be the calm, quiet retirement the old dog deserved.)

Besides, Remy still has enough puppy energy for me at the moment. He is, however, growing up fast. He sleeps through the night and seems content to lie at our feet while we watch movies in the evening. Remy and Kirby still wrestle, but now it's mutual (usually). We don't worry about the shoes getting chewed up anymore. And now, every so often, Remy will sit and stare into my eyes for a long time, as if he's trying to read my mind. That's something grown-up Griffs do.

The other day Remy and I were sharing one of those calm, focused moments and I quietly said to him: "Remy, go get your Kong and bring it to Jennifer."  I could see the thoughts racing behind his eyes for a few seconds. Then he stood up, turned around, walked into the next room (past his other toys), went straight to the Kong, picked it up and brought it to me.

Eureka! That was definitely a grown-up dog moment.

I look forward to a lot more of those moments. I look forward to the calm of a home with two adult dogs in it. And I wish my colleagues all the joy and adventure that comes with raising their puppies.

I will, of course, demand puppy pictures on a regular basis...