For those that regularly keep an eye on my stream, you know I love dogs. I never had one growing up, but ever since I moved to California, there's been one in the house, and in my social circles I'm usually the one tapped to dog-sit if the owners have urgent business and need to go out of town. Being someone the dogs already know and trust is worth a lot when it comes to peace of mind, after all.
All dogs are good dogs until otherwise proven- I stand by that even after having a chunk bitten out of my leg by one a couple of years ago. There's a fine beastie in the house I live right now, and I've... more or less been the one to take care of him over the time I've been here.
When his owner was indisposed, I made sure Tiger was fed, watered, and exercised. When it was cold, wet, and rainy, I'd be outside with him so he wasn't so grumpy about it, and I always made sure he got nicely dried off once we got back inside. He's got allergies too, the poor guy, so I've often been the one ready with the benadryl or the cone to make sure he didn't gnaw a hole in himself itching. (Related- the inflatable doughnuts you see in the drugstore for hemorrhoids? Often better than a cone for most small to medium sized clutzy dogs.)
Tiger's an older dog now too, and while he still has pep in his step, at ten-odd years old, he needs to go out to pee a little more often, and takes a little longer to get up off the ground and get a move on. That's okay though. He knows he has to be a little careful, and he is... or at least as careful as a German Shepherd can be.
But now I'm moving. It's a smaller place, with just me and my beau. We have no pets of our own, and couldn't fit one anyway.
While I've had other pets in times past, I lived most of my life without having a dog around. But I've since raised two from puppies, and cared for two more as they eased into their old age. I'm not sure how I'll feel without a cold nose at my elbow at 3am because nobody let him out to pee before locking up for the night. Or how I'll manage without a portable fuzzy space heater, secondary Very Loud doorbell, and constant source of goofy smiles.
For all sorts of reasons, I worry about what's going to happen to Tiger once I'm gone. But there's naught else I can do, except give him lots of love in the time we can still share.
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