Today is a special day. It reminds us of the day we decided to find Guapo a wife and life companion. What a great decision we made. At the time, we were both working in the day, and we had our first dog Guapo. Despite having a stuffed doll as a best friend, which he continues to have until today, we thought he may be lonely. So, we started considering the decision to find him a life companion.
So we went to our favourite pet shop, now Planete Woof (http://www.planetewoof.com/). We grew really close to the family that owns that shop, answering any questions we had and really helped with taking that step. It was comforting knowing we had some experts to support us during the initial phase. She was all black at the time, so small, and we just knew we wanted her. At the time I was still very new to having a pet. I didn't know about adoptions or pet rescues or think of the SPCA at the time. I was quite ignorant, I never had a pet growing up and my parents at that time never really knew what having a pet meant; so when the time came, neither did I. I only knew how cute they were but didn't realize that they are like children and depend on you for their survival. Only now, having a pet, do I realize how precious they are.
It has been the most rewarding eight years having Buena in our lives. She is an introverted dog and keeps everything inside, sometimes nervous, but otherwise she's overall a super calm and quiet dog. She cleans herself, almost never smells and only eats healthy food. She is really the perfect dog. It's true, she seems to know what is good for her and keeps herself active and healthy. She can jump really high and can catch a ball in mid air. It's quite amazing. What I love most about her is her innocence. Her strawberry blond hair makes her unique and she is so beautiful. When we were in the hospital, she carried a blue plastic chicken toy in her mouth for days, mourning. She was sad we were gone and wondering if we would come back. That is one of the most amazing qualities of a dog; loyalty. On the days when you need them most, they are unconditionally there to support you.
For those who ever considered getting a pet, or a second one, it really isn't much of a difference to manage one or two. I think the most difficult part is if you travel often, then I would say it would make logistics a bit challenging to find someone who can host two dogs. There are however, great doggy daycares for those who do need a well-deserved break and want to ensure their furry pals are safe and in good care. Other things to consider include pet care. We almost lost her once, that was really scary. It would be important to keep a fund for the emergencies. Pet emergency health care can be extremely expensive. Sometimes you can easily find yourself in a situation to be taken advantage of, so do your research. In hindsight, pet insurance would have been a great investment. The quality of the care of the DMV is exceptional, so we are blessed to continue to have her in our lives. Feeding is not expensive having a small dog. I would say the biggest commitment would be giving discipline and exercise, which are the two most important ones to keep your dog happy; I admit that even now, I could learn more and invest more time to be a better role model for those two commitments. Just take into consideration one last thought. A dog will live 10 to 15 years. Make sure you understand that committment and think about their whole life when making that final decision.
Happy birthday to our furry pal, Buena. We love you and cherish every year you are in our lives!