It's a dog's world...

Those who have known me for more than 24 hours probably know that I've wanted a dog for years.  I grew up with a black lab in the house, and though my parents will say owning dogs was more trouble than it was worth, the dogs were very much a part of the family.  Our last dog, Bozworth, died more than 7 years ago, but sometimes, when I'm home in NH visiting, I still expect to see his head peering through the screen on the porch door, welcoming us home.  And I still shove the food to the back of the kitchen counter because that damn dog could be counted on to jump up and snarf anything that wasn't bolted down (edible or not).

When it comes to big life choices; new car, new rental house, even a new flat screen TV, I tend to hem and haw for a while before I make a decision.  I analyze, compare, second guess, and generally drive myself crazy with "what if" scenarios. In this case, I've been waiting for years to get a dog because I have always lived in apartments, and unless I want to get a dog that could double as a mop handle, apartments are generally not conductive to dogs.  I've never had a yard, and dogs are not cheap.  I'm a workaholic, and I travel, etc., etc.  All very valid reasons to put off the acquisition of a canine companion.

But now I have a house.  With a fenced in yard.  And enough money saved to pay for the occasional boarding needs, the dog food, the vet visits, the new toys.  And more friends than I can count who have offered advice, walking services, play dates, places to drop the dog when I'm away, you name it.  They must be tired of hearing me talk about it, or my need for some love and affection to greet me when I come home must be more obvious than I thought.  :)

When my new landlords readily agreed to build a fence onto my rental house, I thought that was a good sign.  When the city's newest dogpark opened a week ago less than 10 minutes from my house, I thought "Hmmmm..."  And when two completely different people recommended the same dog to me, and when her foster home turned out to be owned by respected colleagues of mine, well...there's not much else to say. For form's sake I'm sleeping on it, but I'm pretty sure I've found my dog.

In an effort not to jinx it, I won't go into the ways my life is inevitably going to change soon.  But I'm almost there; I'm almost a "dog person."  I can't wait.