We Got A Dog!!!

I have never been a dog person, or a pet person for that matter. My first memory of a dog was my grandparent’s dog, a Golden Retriever, knocking me to the ground inside their living room when I was around 5 years old. Big dogs intimidate me because of this memory and small dogs annoy me because 99% of them jump on me. And I do NOT like it when dogs jump on me. I never had a desire to have a pet, and I never had a pet until eight years ago when I moved in with my husband. He had a cat, and I was miserable- I did not like the experience at all. She destroyed our couches, peed on the carpets, and did not, as Marie Kondo would say, spark joy for me.

And even though he already had a cat, my husband always said he wanted a dog. For years the situation was not ideal for us to have one, however. We both worked and were away from the house for most of the day, and we lived in apartments with no doggy door, no backyard, and our landlords/apartment buildings/HOAs did not allow dogs.

When we moved here to Kyiv, my husband again stated (for the millionth time), that he wanted a dog, but I did not think he was serious. I gave my husband so many reasons why we should not get a dog.

“It costs too much”

“I will have to clean up all the messes”

“Our house will have dog hair all over it”

“Our house will smell if it goes pee on the carpets”

“We will have to cut dinner and outings short to be back by certain hours to walk the dog”

“The dog will destroy the furniture”

“We are living in a place that snows 5 months out of the year and is freezing November through late March- do you really want to walk the dog in sub-zero temps when the sidewalks are icy?”

“It will cost us thousands of dollars each time we go from post to post for airfare, vaccinations, etc.”

My husband told one of his coworkers he wanted a dog, so his coworker, being a dog owner and pet lover, sent him email after email on the daily with info on dogs that need to be adopted here in Kyiv. One day, my husband showed me a picture of a female Shepherd mix, and asked my opinion. I replied, “oh, she’s nice,” in a noncommittal tone, like I always have when he shows me pictures of dogs. A few days later, he said to me “the guardian of the dog is bringing her over on Friday, we’re getting her.”

So, on Friday the 13th of September, we got a dog. A ten month old Shepherd mix we decided to name Mila. We had a translator come to help us with the paperwork and communication with the guardian. The following day we took Mila to the vet to have a chip put in her and to have them verify that she is sterilized, which we also needed the translator’s help with.

For a week and a half, I have been getting acclimated to having a dog. I am still not a dog or pet lover, but she is slowly growing on me. Despite going pee three times on our bedroom rug, I’d say she’s pretty much the perfect dog. She is good natured, is socialized pretty well with other dogs, and is small enough (at 45 lbs) that I am not intimidated by her size. She also listens to me most of the time.

The irony is that my husband wanted a dog, yet I am the one who is doing the bulk of the work!! I have spent a lot of time researching natural and organic dog foods, watching hours of YouTube video on dog training, and ordering all the things for the dog (LED dog collar, Kong toys, dog treat container, doggie bowls, dental bones, mat to go under the dog bowls, dog brush, dog treats, dog food, carpet deodorizer, doggie bags, etc.). Every day I feed her, walk her, sweep up massive amounts of dog hair while my husband is at his job.

I also have to have most of the doors shut when I am at home, because she is not to be trusted to go into other rooms by herself yet. This has led to me feeling trapped and claustrophobic, which has not been good for my mental health. Everything I’ve read states dogs are good for mental health, but for me, it is the opposite thus far. I have already had a massive anxiety attack, which thankfully my friend called me despite a 7 hour time difference to help me calm down and talk it out. To alleviate my sky high levels of anxiety and stress, I made my husband promise that we would get help with a dog trainer and part time housekeeper ASAP. The amount of extra cleaning that I have to do is no joke!! I realize this is just a season, and soon she will be house trained (I hope)!

It has been a big adjustment for me, and I never realized how much puppies are like two year old children. You have to watch them all the time, your sleep is cut short, they demand lots of attention, you talk more about pee and poop than you ever have before, they have tons of energy, there are toys scattered throughout the house, and you have to feed them multiple times a day. And they make messes that you have to clean up.

On the other hand, dogs also do hilarious things that make you laugh every day, you are forced to play and kind of be a kid again, and they give you lots of kisses. I now easily make my step goals thanks to daily walks, and my dog brings out a nurturing side and motherly side of my personality I never knew I had.

Without further ado, I present to you our new fur baby, Mila!