Life

happy birthday, teddy!

February 3, 2014

dog-birthday

Teddy turns 1 today, and while a lot of people may think it’s ridiculous to commemorate an animal’s birthday, if you read my post about why having a dog is so important to me, then maybe you’d understand why I’m getting a wee bit emotional.

Most people talk about only the good stuff, but I’m here to tell you very honestly that Year One was hard as hell.

The first few weeks with Teddy were filled with anxiety. I felt like a new mom totally unprepared for this ANIMAL now residing in our apartment. I hardly slept, barely ate and looked gaunt. As for Teddy, he was insane. A typical puppy, but still insane. Because we couldn’t take him to the park until all his vaccinations were in order, we had to harness his insatiable energy in our tiny apartment. He was either bouncing off the walls, biting through our clothes with his razor-sharp teeth or a little of both. Oh, I almost forgot about that phase when he would bite my butt during our walks.

I was kind of a wreck. I cried a lot and felt detached. As crazy as it sounds, it was like some form of post-partum depression. I know what you’re thinking: “He’s just a dog!” But I think I had so much expectation and anticipation built up from 20+ years of waiting, that when it all happened, the emotions and responsibility were overwhelming.

The adolescent years, which started at month 6 and have wound down for the most part (fingers crossed) sucked. When we said “sit,” he walked away. When we said “down,” he stared at us blankly. This is a time when dogs test their boundaries (like adolescents!), a time when many owners give up and hand off their dogs to pounds. Yes, he pushed our boundaries (obedience classes helped nail down those commands) and yes, on some days I thought a demon force had inhabited his body, but ironically, this was also the age when Teddy grew really attached to us. He’d whimper when one of us went to the bathroom. If we moved from the kitchen to the couch, he got up from deep sleep and moved right there with us. I was once gone for 3 hours, and he waited for me on the balcony the entire time. Those are signs of separation anxiety, but god, it’s so cute.

During that time I changed, too. I realized how much of his puppy-ness I missed due to my own hang-ups and anxieties. I realized I needed to let go, chill out and take it day by day. Some days he’d be an angel and some days he’d be the devil incarnate, and I just needed to roll with the punches.

As we come to the year mark, a lot has changed. He’s better behaved by leaps and bounds, even more loving and can manage out of the crate even when we’re not home (huzzah!). Some things are still a challenge: If we don’t give Teddy off-leash play at least once a day, he’s crazy. He has a major stick-eating problem. He’s a vacuum during walks and inhales everything in sight. And he hasn’t yet learned the art of walking on a leash.

That’s the truth about the hard stuff. But it pales in comparison to the truth about the good stuff. Teddy is sweet, social, friendly and the least aggressive dog you’ll ever meet. His main thrill in life is to say hi to everyone he meets, and it’s clear from his youthful face that all he wants to do is have a good time. But at his core, he really just wants to be by our side. He’s so painfully attached that he follows us around our 600-square-foot apartment every time we move. Whether I’m washing the dishes, brushing my teeth or opening the mail, he’s my shadow. Sometimes he’ll just come sit by me while I’m standing and lean on me with all his weight that I might just topple over. Most telling of all is that he’s not 100% happy unless the three of us are together. You can see it in his face. And I can’t argue with that: I like it best when it’s us three, too.

Thanks to him, I’m not only more relaxed and healthy from all the walks, hikes and playtime, I’m also so much more cognizant of the little things in life that were previously unnoticeable to me but are totally magical to him (i.e. birds chirping, the smell of the ocean). But I think the greatest thing of all is seeing how much joy he gets out of something as simple as a broken tennis ball or empty box. Now if that isn’t a lesson to us all…

Having a dog has been harder than I expected, but it’s a million, zillion, trillion times better than I expected, too. Teddy makes me laugh when I’m stressed, gives me comfort when I’m crying and shows me love regardless of whether I just fed him or yelled at him. And the excitement he has when I’ve come home after being away? Someone should bottle that up. It’s an emotion that makes you feel so good about life.

From now on, February 3 isn’t just a day to take Teddy to the dog beach and get him a pupcake (because I’m totally doing that, too), it’s also a day to be thankful for how much better my life is because of him. Happy birthday, rascal!

And you may have noticed: I spruced up the blog with a new logo and some new buttons! Time well spent not watching the Super Bowl me thinks.

 

 

 

 

14 thoughts on “happy birthday, teddy!

    1. Archana Post author

      Thank you, Dixya! I loved your post and totally relate. Having a dog is an easy way practice your patience and yes, we have to think of them as babies who don’t understand what they’re doing. It’s so true! Thanks for reading and sharing.

      Reply
  1. Aparna B.

    I just happened to come across your blog from another blogger I follow and I loooove it. I loved reading about your 13-month trip and sounds like your new adventures in SoCal are fabulous. Can’t wait to read more :) http://notaleaf.com

    Reply
  2. Cassie

    We celebrate Milo’s birthday at the office every year, no judgement here!! Happy Birthday, Teddy! It’s been a joy watching him grow :)

    Reply
  3. maggie / type & title

    oh, i just love this! happy birthday, teddy! it sounds like he’s a lot like my girl bijou, she has a lot of the same qualities. i love what you said about him being happiest when the three of you are together — that’s SO true of our pups, too. it’s like everything is right in the world for them :) dogs are the best!

    Reply
    1. Archana Post author

      Thanks, Maggie! That expression on his face really does say “everything is right in the world.” Perfect way to put it!

      Reply
  4. Adrienne L.

    Aww, Teddy is so cute. Happy Belated Birthday to him! I really love hearing a candid take on owning a puppy. Mine is about 6 months now and is starting to go through his “angel and devil phase.” But I feel just the way that you do – my life has drastically improved since adopting him. :)

    Reply
    1. Archana Post author

      Thanks, Adrienne! Enjoy this crazy 6 month stage! Everyone says it, but it’s true: They grow up WAY too quickly!

      Reply

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