Dog Ownership, a Cautionary Tale

Sure, they start out adorable. Even when the nice woman at the Humane Society said the dreaded word "hound" when describing the mix of breeds that was staring up at me from the concrete floor of the shelter. Did I focus on that? No. I focused instead on "German shepherd" and "black lab" thinking, "Well, those are nice breeds. The shepherd and lab will keep the hound at bay (so to speak)." Those of you who are not novice dog owners feel free to slap your foreheads about now at my complete naivete.

Not that Jack isn't a wonderful dog. He is. I tell myself this multiple times a day, like a mantra:

Jack is a good dog.
We love Jack.
What a great dog.
Jack just needs a little more training.
Patience is a virtue.
He'll grow out of this rambunctious stage in a couple of years.

It's that last item that always gives me pause. A couple of years. Wow. Good thing Jack actually IS a good dog, and we actually DO love him (even as he crowds me off the couch). I can't say patience is one of my stronger virtues, but Jack is cultivating it in me, and that's really good of him.