What kind of a dog mom am I? I can’t believe I haven’t formally introduced and talked about adopting my precious Mary Berry yet on this blog. To begin this long overdue journey, let’s rewind to about 6 months ago.
On August 27th, 2018, Noah and I just couldn’t take it anymore. We had been oohing and awwing at pictures of dogs up for adoption for years, and the thought of not having a furry little friendo running around our house was saddening. That morning we popped on to Petfinder and saw that the cutest beagle mix was only a few miles away from us at our local animal shelter. Noah happened to have the day off, so he paid the little heart-breaker a visit. After all, it can’t hurt to just take her on a walk right? Fast forward 24 hours later, and our precious girl walked into her new home for the first time. I got off from working a late dinner event, and I walked into a house that was filled with more love than ever before. At first we thought that Mary was a strange name for a dog (she was already named when we got her), but we thought we would run with it and fully name her Mary Berry after the baker from The Great British Baking Show. Now that we have gotten to know her, Mary Berry fits her perfectly and suits her well.
At first we thought she had a calm, subdued personality and that she was already crate-trained. In reality, she had just been spayed that morning, and she was in a lot of pain, let alone overwhelmed. Turns out, she is adeptly skilled at escaping locked crates, and she is wonderfully playful. I have never met a dog that loves squeaky toys more than her. If she could play tug-of-war for hours straight, she would. Even though she weighs just 30 pounds, she thinks she is the queen of the world. As such, she gets royally huffy when a fellow dog (or sometimes human) dares pass by her kingdom. Personal space? Not needed or wanted. In fact, she likes to be held like a human baby, and she could be president of the Free Hugs Club. Noah’s firm stance on not letting her sleep in bed with us didn’t even make it through the first night.
I could literally talk about her quirks for hours, but nobody probably finds them as magical as me. There are so many ways in which she brightens up my days, but I would be lying if I said that everything was always picture perfect.
Besides the fact that she dares not poop within a half-mile radius of our house, she has made her mark on the large front windows of the house in the process of trying to get to dogs on the other side. We are missing the bottom of a door, and we often times have to structure our days around being able to take care of her. On top of everything else, dogs aren’t cheap. At times, I have never been more frustrated (aka finding the bottom half of the previously mentioned missing door), but I have also felt the most incredible love.
I have seen her gain weight after being too small at the shelter. I have seen her eyes fill with joy. I have seen her sleep in the deepest peace. I have gained her trust. For a dog that can barely stand being in a room by herself, I can’t imagine what her life would have looked like if we hadn’t brought her into our family.
If you are even considering getting a dog, I urge you to think about how big of a commitment it is. For a dog to be cared for as it should, your lifestyle may have to change in a pretty big way. I would also urge you to think about adopting a dog from a shelter. There are so many animals in need, and you could be their biggest hero.
Having a dog seems to make everything in life more difficult, and yet, it still makes living life easier. Every cold walk in the rain and every penny spent is worth it. My life is better because of my furry little girl. Mary Berry, this one is for you.
