We were up early and out the door for back-to-back doctor’s appointments for the wife this morning. I take the opportunity while waiting around in their offices to get a little reading in. She got some injections in her knees to hopefully help with the pain she’s been experiencing recently.
Post appointments we had lunch and ran an errand or two. It was while we were running errands that we drove past a corner that had a dog standing on it waving a sign that said ‘Puppies available’. Note, it wasn’t an actual dog standing around, but a person dressed in a dog costume, waving a sigh to get attention. In the wife’s case, it worked.
I kept driving, with my standard argument that we don’t need another dog. The wife made a compelling argument (we’re going to look at puppies or else …) to return to the puppy place after our few errands, so back we went.
I have several arguments against getting a new puppy:
1) The aforementioned argument that we already have three dogs, and don’t need another one.
2) Getting a puppy means having to go through the whole potty training, integrating them into the pack, and non-stop whining at night until they get used to everything and finally sleep through the night.
3) I don’t believe in supporting pet stores when there are plenty of completely usable dogs at the local shelters, who will be put down unless they are adopted.
My wife’s argument for getting a new dog:
1) She wants a new dog. Preferably one that likes her better than me.
We looked at the dogs the puppy store had to offer. They were mostly cute, and energetic, and would probably be a good addition to our pack.
The saving grace turned out to be they didn’t have any of the breed the wife wants in a dog.
If after one of our current pack passes to the big doggy park over the rainbow bridge, then I might consider getting a dog. And maybe a slightly older dog who has been house-trained, so we at least don’t have to go through that again. I also have to weigh it against the fact that having another puppy obligates me to around 10 more years of having to walk, feed, clean up after, and care for another pet. I fully expect to be around for ten more years but you never know at my age.
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