How Much Is That Doggy In The Window? Part One.

Three years and two days ago I put my seventeen year old mutt of a dog to sleep. He was a great dog. Happy, albeit neurotic. (What do they say about pets resembling their owners?) Friendly, although protective, in that, “I’ll-bark-at-any-noise-outside-the-apartment” way, but, also, attention-getter that he was, he’d look at anyone and say, “please come and pet me.” Smart, knowing if he waited long enough I’d give in and feed him something he liked. Territorial, in that “you-may-have-bought-the-sofa-but-I-own-it” way. But, after two operations in two years, he was in too much pain and would not have lasted much longer. His bladder, eyesight, and hearing were, in a word, shot. His time had come. Oh, and that fable about animals looking at you and saying their time is up? It’s a fable. Nobody really wants to go.

Sam liked people more than other dogs. (Which is odd, because often I’ve liked dogs more than other people.) He was forty pounds of terrier/shepherd/god-only-knows-what hyperactiveness. His fur was a beautiful warm grey, brown, black mixture, and, when I had him shaved, you’d want to rest your face on his smooth, soft coat. Which he really didn’t like very much. You, resting your face, and being shaved. I think he felt a bit naked when he was shaved, but he looked great, and it was really good for him during the summer, even though I’d leave the air conditioner on all day for him.

Yesterday, a friend forwarded me an email, that read,

“My friend Scott rescued 6 black lab (mix) puppies out of the middle of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help me find them homes – otherwise, it’s Animal Control – which means they only have 5 days. We’ve bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed them….but we can’t keep them. They are currently in a kennel in my basement since I don’t have a fence. I’ve lost count of the number of rescue groups that I’ve contacted, only to be turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog person you know to see if they need a puppy.”

Now, the odd part is that I have been thinking, recently, about getting another dog. Not as a “replacement,” but because I love dogs. A few times a week, when I can, I’ll go and sit outside my favorite dog run, in the Chelsea Waterside Park, on 11th Avenue near 23rd Street. I’ll grab a Jamba Juice, bring my moleskine and a sharpie, watch the dogs playing with each other, write a bit, watch some more. (I know. Sounds a bit like, “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little…”) A friend suggested I get another dog, and I came up with a few good reasons why I shouldn’t. Reasons like, I’m just not a good disciplinarian. And, I (secretly) have enjoyed the freedom of not having to walk a dog, or worry about getting home too late. Of course, being a writer, I usually work from home. I can work anywhere in the world I want to. (Which makes me wonder why I’m home most of the day…)

So, when faced with big and important decisions, I did what I often do: turn to the Internet. I posed the question on Ask Metafilter (my favorite site). The people there are great. There’s a very reassuring honesty and sensitivity and caring you can feel from the folks there. I wanted to share some of their thoughts, because they truly helped me, and anyone who is considering adopting a pet, especially in the city, should read the entire thread for their thoughts on the matter.

What amazed me also was that there were fifteen responses posted in the first fifteen minutes. Amazing. Out of the fifty total responses, here are a few:

“All I see here are pros, no cons. Go get your puppy, you silly man.”

“When faced with the question ”Do I get a puppy?“, the answer is always ”yes“. Always.”

“Get one. Dogs add +5 hotness.”

“Get ur ass down to the local pound and get thee a puppee!”

“Get a puppy. You will walk the puppy, or be sitting outside a coffeeshop with the puppy, and the man of your dreams will stop to coo over your puppy. True love and a puppy!”

“Always. Get. The. Puppy.”

Also interesting was, out of fifty responses, at last eight suggested getting a greyhound, and several suggested getting an older dog. It seems the pet jury is still out on big dog vs. small dog in a city apartment. Personally, I like big dogs, so a Toy Fox Terrier or Chihuahua is not the type of pet I would enjoy.

Turns out, the email has made its way around the Internet several times, but, it’s served a good purpose. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you probably got the same email. But, finally, spam that actually does some good!

So, I have not decided whether or not to get a dog, but I’m leaning toward getting a dog. There are a lot of other things to consider, like, healthcare, what to do if I go out of town and cannot bring the dog with me, and even moving things in the apartment out of a curious mouth’s way…

Tags: 10011, Ask Metafilter , Chelsea, dog run, dogs, puppy