Dogs and Letting Go

(Dog #1): Four-month old chihuahua-golden retriever mix (today, he's about a year old) rescued on May 13, 2005 ... taught me how to be human again (and lots of other stuff!)
(Dog #2): Two-year old miniature Irish setter-looking mutt (Papillion/long-haired dachshund mix) ... rescued on April 7, 2006 ... easier the second time around (gotta handle that "barking-and-chasing-the-cat" thang!)

Today I realized that being a dog owner (similar to being a parent, I think!) teaches you how to let go ... i.e., it's okay that mud gets all over me and the inside of my car after they have happily run free in the dew-soaked grass and puddles in the park. They are happy, satisfied, and that's when I knew why I got Dog #2 even when some of my friends said I was crazy ... Dog #1 at long last has that companionship he needs beyond me ... he can play, run free, and love all ... especially with a dog pal that is more of his equal in size (his former girlfriend was a MUCH bigger dog who lives next door and the rough-housing got too exhausting for me).

More to come ... just a beginning and a renewal of my daily thoughts.

P.S. Having dogs downtown is tough, especially in these days of gentrification and neighborhood cleansing! Fewer and fewer grassy areas, more and more human waste, less access to sidewalks and parking lots, new dogs every day (I think I meet an average of 3 new dogs in my 5-block area on a daily basis) ... I think I/we will only last here through the end of the year. I need to provide a more habitable domicile for me and my dogs!

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