One year after getting a pandemic puppy
3 life lessons as new dog dads
The backstory
Aug. 26 is National Dog Day. It is also the day we brought home Boba - can you believe the coincidence? Not planned, just meant to be.
The other night I asked E, “can you believe we’ve kept Boba alive for a year?”
He replied, “crazy.” And just barely as he’s had a bout of bad digestive episodes this past week.
We’ve spent the year trying to give him the best life because he is the best boy, but when our patience was tested and we were faced with should-we-call-the-vet moments, we tried to remind ourselves that he’s just a dog. Although, jury’s still out on that.
I don’t know how many people got a dog in the last year, so I’m just going to be scientific and say a sh*t ton. In E’s side of the family alone, we added three furbabies to the Loehr-Schulte-Komo clan. And while I expected it to change our lifestyle, I didn’t think it’d teach me life lessons that give me energy, better my habits and center my day to day. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of stressful moments like when I find myself box breathing in the streets when Boba won’t budge on the leash during a lunch break. Or like this past weekend when we dealt with poopy sheets at 4am - more my fault than Boba’s. But all things considered, he hath given more to our lives than taketh away. We can’t believe it’s been a year. It’s all kinds of cliché, but he’s truly added to how we live, laugh and love. [cringe]
3 life lessons
A tired dog is a good dog.
Simple and true. I’ve learned this applies to humans too. I’ve been trying to stay more consistent with a fitness outlet and the days when I get a sweat sesh in are a lot better than when I don’t. My mind is calmer. My mood is kinder. And my sleep is better.
Alone time is a must.
We can go days without leaving Boba alone and not even realize it. But, we can tell he’s hit a daddies-and-me tipping point when he’s in our faces, bothered by the slightest movements or dissatisfied with our distractions. So when we notice this behavior, we leave him alone for a few hours and come home to a different dog. Almost like when a child wakes up after a nap and is more pleasant to be around. This is also true for me when it comes to napping or alone time. The extrovert in me has come to need more me time (or nap time) than I usually allotted. My recent alone time outlet has been 20 minutes here and there with the book that’s perpetually on our coffee table. One chapter at a time, I’m reading more than I ever have.
Undivided attention is undeniably better.
My New Year’s resolution was to mono-task - multitasking’s cute cousin. And while this is easier said than done, Boba has helped build a better discipline giving the task at hand my full attention. There’s something about that face, his infinite interest in me and the way we’ve bonded that makes other tasks and to-dos less important. So after a year of learning to focus in, that’s transferred to other aspects of life. Whether it’s brush time, tv time or date night, mono-tasking is more about giving myself permission to do less, honor the moment and take in the gifts in front of me, like the bebe and E.
I’m sure I’m not alone in life lessons taught by a furbaby. Drop yours in the comments!
