Of Mogwai and Dogs
Having a dog is like having an old man show up on your doorstep with a box. Inside that box is a creature with a few rules.
Feed him well.
Give him plenty of exercise.
Keep him safe.
Basic rules, but they’re not easy.
You think you’re feeding good food because you pay more for it than you did when you were a college kid trying to make ends meet. In reality, the popular foods on television commercials are not the ones rated well for dog nutrition. You find your pet food is vegetable- and grain-based, not the nutrients you want for your dog.
You think running him around your big yard several times a day is enough exercise, until you learn you also need to exercise his mind with puzzle toys and training.
The third rule, though. Keep him safe. This rule is the hardest. Removing his collar before putting him in the kennel. Keeping him from eating grass. Keeping him on a leash at all times so he doesn’t run into the street. Giving him filtered water, healthy treats, and a place of his own to sleep, or just hang out during the day.
If you follow these rules, the old man is very pleased.
If you break the rules, the old man returns and takes your pet before you’re ready to say goodbye.
Even if you follow the rules to a T, you’re never ready to say goodbye. The old man always returns. It may be one year, it may be fifteen, but the old man always returns.
I’m doing my best to please the old man for a very long time. I’m writing this with a doggie head in my lap, so I must be doing something right.
