It’s almost time, folks. By which I mean I’m going to marry my best friend, fly to Italy for two weeks and—wait for it—adopt a dog!
Or two.
I’m pushing for two.
The way I see it, adopting a dog is like going camping: it’s just as much work to pack for one night as it is for two. And besides, if we get two mutts, they can keep each other company and we can take great Christmas card photos.
In fact, I’m going to be sure to put that on our application:
Dear Nice People of the ASPCA:
We would like two dogs please, and we would prefer dogs that look nice in Christmas photos. Preferably one very large dog and one very small dog, because we already have several holiday tableaus in mind and we feel that these proportions would be the most aesthetically pleasing.
Thank you.
PS: We are still upset that the photo we submitted for the cutest pet photo contest at your fundraiser last month did not win but we will not hold this against you (especially because we DID win that rather lovely wine bottle gift basket in the Silent Auction). We will, however, be more likely to find forgiveness in our hearts for this gross error of judgment on your part if you see to it that we get two nice looking dogs this time around.
… Then again maybe not.
I wouldn’t want them flagging us as unfit dog parents.
In all seriousness though, we do need some advice.
In a city like Philadelphia, most of the shelters are full of pit bulls and while I have nothing against pit bulls (contrary to popular opinion, they can be really sweet), I’ve been warned that some of them have been bread with a bit of a mean streak that can come out especially around children and babies.
And seeing as we’re intended to have plenty of children and babies in our future, I know we need to be careful in considering the type of dog we get so that we can commit to providing a loving and stable home for the long haul.
Also? We live in a city. And although we have a small fenced in patio, we don’t have a proper yard. So we need a dog who is content to go for walks to the park instead of having a big grassy space to romp around in.
Since I generally work from home during the day and PIC is usually home at night while I’m teaching, we’ll be able to provide our dog with plenty of attention and people time so that won’t be an issue. But since PIC has never had a dog before and puppies are a ton of work, I know that we’d be better suited to bringing a slightly more mature dog into our home.
I think that about covers it: everything you need to know to about PIC and me in order to make your very best recommendation for the type of dog(s) we should get!
For local readers, I’d also be interested to know if you’ve had experiences with any particular shelters or rescues. There are quite a few options but I get sad if I spend too long researching the various websites…
Thank you!
