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Why You Should Be a Dog Person
Spoiler alert: It’s not just because dog people are cool
Our family dog died the day before my 13th birthday. I was devasted.
After a childhood of happy friendship with a chocolate lab and a golden retriever, my high school, college, and early married days felt like a drought without a canine companion. I looked longingly at other people walking their dogs in downtown Chicago. They always looked cheerful. They never looked lonely.
At times, I begged Curtis to let us get a dog, even though our apartment had a strict no-pet policy. My tactics, not always fair, were certainly persistent.
“Please, please, let me get a dog so I can have a walking buddy?”
“If I get a dog, I’ll always have a friend.” Ouch. Sorry, Curtis.
“Maybe we can keep it hidden?” In our one-bedroom apartment on the 8th floor of an apartment building with a doorman? Right.
Wise and law-abiding, Curtis stood firm and our time in Chicago ended with no dog. Probably for the best.
But when we moved to Michigan, it wasn’t long before the conversation repeated itself — and when Christmas was right around the corner, I started thinking about a puppy.
