This is Lucky.
Lucky is Kris’s dog, so when Kris moves in with us in a couple of weeks, Lucky will be moving in along with her. There’s a pretty good chance that Dave and I might end up keeping her, since Kris will be moving into an apartment, and she might have trouble finding a place that will allow her to have two cats and one 40-pound dog in an apartment. (For the record, Kris’s mom is keeping her cats until she finds a place and gets settled. Then her mom & stepdad will fly up with the cats. We cannot have 6 cats in our house. Can. Not. My sinuses would explode and die.)
Lucky is about a year old now, and Kris has always had sort of a fear that she’s not a very good dog mom, so she isn’t all hell bent on keeping her like most dog-owners would be. For the record, I think she’s probably a very good dog mom, she just feels guilty for not spending enough time with her and not walking her enough. It might be easier for me and Dave since there are two of us, and we live on a couple of acres, so there would be plenty of room for her to run around. It’s probably a preferable living situation for most dogs.
I have to admit, though, I’m a little nervous about it. I’ve never had a dog before, I’ve only had cats. Ok, technically? We had a dog until I was about a year old, but I don’t remember her, so I don’t think that counts.
But seriously, we have four cats, and already that feels like a huge responsibility because I worry that we don’t pay enough attention to them as it is. And cats are way more independent than dogs, so I’m not sure how that’ll work out. I guess I’ve just always been a cat person. I mean, of course I like dogs, I think they’re cute and all, but I sort of freak out whenever one licks me in the face. So the whole dog-ownership idea is just a little daunting to me. Fortunately, Dave has had lots of dogs and doesn’t seem at all worried about the idea, so I’m sure it’ll be ok, whatever happens. (That’s very typical of us in most situations: I freak out and panic, he stays calm and tells me everything will be fine, now will I please for the love of all things holy just take a bloody xanax and sit still for a little while?)
And now, just for the “awww” factor, I have to throw in these photos of her as a puppy:
Is that not the cutest face you’ve ever seen? I mean, really? Ok, maybe this dog-having idea isn’t so bad after all.
Oh my god, Lucky is adorable. My dog n’ cat-loving heart just melted. At the risk of sounding like an Internet troll who spews assvice on the mommy blogs, if you or Kris are interested, please email me and I can tell you how I found a pet-friendly apartment from 1,100 miles away. It is not as hard as you might think to find a place that allows both kinds. Let me know if you want a few tips to pass on about renting with pets. I’ll give you a heads up, it requires compiling a few things before you move, such as innoculation records and “letters of recommendation” from current landlords, vet, neighbors, etc. (Oh, and if Lucky has two cats to hang out with, I’m sure she’s not nearly as lonely during the day as Kris thinks she is.)
OH fer CUUUUUTE!
A dog with 2 pet kitties? No WAY he’s lonely. He’s in doggie heaven! Although he might want to walk more. I know dogs who run for miles every day and still want to walk more. It’s kind of like chocolate for them. There’s no limit to how much they can handle. But if he doesn’t walk every day, he’ll survive.
Good luck and congratulations to Kris on the move! That’s coming up soon, right?
oh, now you can NOT not love that face. 😉 how cute. plus, don’t worry about the attention thing. i have a cat and three dogs, and trust me the dog will make SURE you give him enough attention. and in no time, you’ll think nothing of him sticking his tongue in your mouth.
I think the issue is more complicated, as far as the fact that Kris got a puppy and then quickly realized that she might not really want a dog at all, but she loves her and isn’t going to give her away to just anyone. So it’s not so much an issue of whether or not she can find a pet-friendly apartment, it’s more whether she actually wants to keep the dog at all. (Also, only one of her two cats plays with the dog. The other one haaaaates the dog, hisses at her all the time and swats her anytime she’s within paw’s reach.)
Lucky has some behavioral problems living in Kris’s house right now because (I suspect) she doesn’t get enough exercise. Kris’s yard isn’t fenced and she lives on a busy street, so she can’t just let her out to run around & burn off her energy. She barks a lot and is just generally sort of nervous/easily spooked. I’m guessing that most of that would go away if she had enough room to run around and get plenty of exercise. Because, you know, I’m apparently an expert after watching 2 episodes of “The Dog Whisperer” on Animal Planet. Ha.
As someone who is still pretty new to dogworld, you can totally do it if you really love the dog. Dogs are totally more annoying and less clean than cats, but they have their merits– namely, puppy faces that are waaaay more expressive than cat faces (it’s those puppy eyebrows that do it). However, Lulu is pawing at my sweater right now and being kind of horrible, so, you know.
PERFECT timing! I am a firm believer that anyone that is about to have children needs a dog. Several reasons really. You will get an idea of what it is like to have someone that can not communicate to you depend on you for everything AND (my favorite)clean up the floor when lil’ poobou eats in the highchair!
I work, train, live with, and love animals for a living. Any questions please feel free to ask. You guys will be phenominal dog owners and good for Kris on realizing that she might not be ready for a dog at THIS moment in life. I bet she made a great dog owner anyways, with that face you’d have to spoil her!
What a sweet face. There were times that I second-guessed getting a dog but I had 10.5 wonderful years with my girl and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And there are plenty of apartments that let you have dogs and cats. It wasn’t easy for me to find one but I did and we did just fine.
so you DID finally watch the dog whisperer?? and is it not the best show EVER?!? i LOVE cesar!!
I am in love with your pooch! SO cute!
It is true, dogs are much needier than cats – at least, that is my experience. But, I love taking my boys for walks. They are loving and playful. Dogs can be a pain, but they are really, amazingly loyal.
If you keep her, it will be an adjustment, but in the end, you’ll probably be glad that you’ve got her. The cats may take to her. My cats love my dogs. They always hop in the dog’s bed and snuggle with them.