Bitches in my life.

(Bitch n.: a female dog)

This post is going to be about dogs. I like dogs, they're cute and like stuffed animals but if you don't feed them they die. Exciting indeed.

Seriously though I love dogs, and well animals in general. Dogs specifically though just seem to have a way to brighten up your day. They're like children in their innocence and in your desire to shower them with affection. I currently have two dogs "in my life", one, a black Toy Poodle, belongs to my lovely girlfriend, Jennifer, and her name is Chloe. Chloe's about a year and a bit old now and she's very friendly and inquisitive. She loves me (who doesn't) and she's the most adorable little thing. The other dog belongs to my aunt (and her family) and her name is Zuzu. Zuzu is a white Maltese. She is also fairly adorable, a good medium-small sized dog. She's a few years old now and she's a really good dog (I don't think I've ever heard her bark, including when my family watched her for a few days a couple summers ago). They're both awesome animals. I have put a couple pictures and a video of Chloe and Zuzu below.

My family is currently contemplating getting a dog and the divide about it falls into three camps. 1) My mom and myself, who want one really badly, 2) my sister who doesn't really like dogs for some reason, but wants us to get a cat, and 3) my dad who doesn't want us getting any animals.

I really think pets (in general) and dogs specifically can really do a lot of good for the family dynamic. They bring a little life into the household. Again, it's a child-like sense of life. A dog is always curious and excited to try new things. It is loyal and is always looking for affection. The dog has practical purposes too, it gets you out of the house as you have to take it for walks and whatnot and in a society which is increasingly being enclosed within the confines of our own homes, a dog (by forcing you to go out) brings with it a sense of community. And again, they're like stuffed animals that move. My family has had pets before, one cat - named Ashley - which my dad got my mom before I was even born. Ashley lived for a long time (approximately 18 years) and it was sad when he eventually got too sick and we had to put him down (I was there for that, held him in my arms as he died. I think I was around 12/13, needless to say that was a sad day). We've also had gerbils -  Blacky, Chewey, and Kirby (Kirby was mine, lived the longest), and we had a pet squirrel once - named Binky (good times).

My sister wants to be difficult and get a cat again. Cat's are ok, but they're just sort of boring. Cats are good if you're looking for a pet that isn't a lot of high-maintenance, but they lack that sense of zeal that a dog intrinsically has. I wouldn't be opposed to getting another cat, but if it came to a choice between that and a dog, I'm going dog all the way. There are two main reasons why my dad doesn't want us to get anything - and a dog specifically. Firstly, he feels that a pet ties the family down. I agree this is true, once you have a pet that requires more attention than a simple feeding every few hours it definitely adds something else to your consideration whenever you want to go on an extended trip. My counter this assertion though is twofold: a) my family doesn't really go on too many vacations, the last time we did was last year for a week to Florida, and the time before that was all the way back in 2004, and b) we know plenty of people who would be willing to watch a dog for a few days should we go away, so while yes, it is an added hassle of trying to contact someone to watch our dog, the option is readily available. The second reason my dad doesn't really want a dog is the financial costs that go along with it. Not even talking about the initial cost of purchasing the dog, but the costs of sustaining it for many years - it adds up. While this is true, in my opinion it's all about cost-value. If you are deriving a certain value from whatever it is you're spending money on, then its worth it. I am sure my family would benefit from owning a dog (I know I will), so I think the cost is worth it. I know that if we got a dog, my dad would love it, but these are his two reasons for not buying into the idea. Ultimately it doesn't really matter what he thinks though, my mom wants it so we'll probably end up getting one sooner or later. If it is later, I can see my parents waiting until they get a bit older before getting the dog, once they retire they won't have much else going on so if any time is the perfect time to add one into their lives, it'd be then.

Right now my mom wants to get a medium-small sized dog. She's thinking either a Cockapoo or a Shih Poo. She wants the poodle mix because they do not shed. Pictures of each (as puppies) can be found below:

Cockapoos

Shih poos

And here are Chloe and Zuzu:

Chloe in the car

Zuzu helping me study