Probably one of the best things I did in 2011 was to get a family dog. I’ve always loved animals, but there’s something about a dog that is so endearing. Maybe the fact that my wife, my mom and I were all born in the Year of the Dog has something to do with it. Then again, maybe it’s just that our dog Buddy has captured our hearts.<\/p>\n
Of course, dog ownership comes with a lot of responsibility. I never thought I would so willingly pick up dog poop or laugh off chewed-up furniture in our house. If you own a dog, you know what I mean. My entire family is smitten by him, which is great except it wreaks havoc on my interspousal communication.<\/p>\n
Last week it was time for us to have Buddy neutered. I was hesitant at first, but after all the benefits were explained to me, I willingly brought him in myself. When he came home it felt as though we were caring for a sick child. Buddy was getting the maximum level of pampering. That night I was sitting within earshot of my wife.<\/p>\n
In a melodic voice I heard her say, “Sweetheart, would you like something to eat?” I immediately answered, “Sure, what did you have in mind?” My “high” was interrupted by a bite of the reality sandwich. Her voice changed, “I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to Buddy!” The same thing happened several times over the course of two days, where she would say something and I thought she was talking to me, but Buddy was the target of her immediate affection.<\/p>\n
By day three I was already trained not to respond to her as I assumed she was talking to Buddy. That morning, as I headed off for work, I heard her say, “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss?” When I didn’t respond, she raised her voice and said, “Honey, I’m talking to you. Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye?” I did and headed out the door, and then heard her say, “Later tonight I’m going to give you a treat.” Unsure whom she was talking to, I did an “about face” and handed her my pen and a piece of paper.<\/p>\n
Like a puppy dog, I begged, “Can I get that in writing?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Probably one of the best things I did in 2011 was to get a family dog. I’ve always loved animals,..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-whats-next"],"yoast_head":"\n