I’m marking the one year anniversary of Tessie’s official adoption with some reflection. If you haven’t followed our story from the beginning, I was reluctant to get a dog for all the excuses one could possibly manufacture, yet my husband Adam persisted. Whether it was my destiny or because Tessie is the best dog on earth, I have been a dog person for one year and a week.
We agreed to a home trial one week before we signed the papers, but I honestly fell in love within the first 5 minutes she sprang into our living room. She was – and still is – sweet, mild-mannered and incredibly well behaved. She hasn’t chewed up a single piece of furniture or jumped on a guest. She barely barks. Her worst offense to date is riffling through some laundry.
The first two weeks she was here, Tessie ran off three times. The first time was my fault, and I was surprisingly devastated – and she had only been with us a matter of hours. But my husband found her within minutes and all was well. Her third and final jail break was also my doing. We have what we thought was a fully-fenced in backyard. I was hesitant to let her off her leash even in the backyard, but she was so excited be outside on this particular day after I returned home from work. I unhooked her and she bolted behind the garage where she found the security breach a week prior. Adam had closed the gap, but not enough, because she jammed herself over the obstruction, ran down the driveway and across the street.
She paused on our neighbors’ steps, looking back to see if I had noticed. She sensed the desperation in my face and booked it. I drove around, but she was nowhere in sight. We live off of a very busy street, across from a large park. She could be anywhere by now. Great, I thought, how am I going to tell Adam I’ve lost our dog?
Through tears I returned home to get her treats before setting off to canvass the neighborhood on foot. In my haste, I left the yard gate open and while I was searching for the tastiest treat to lure her back home, Tessie returned and was sitting on the back stoop. A wave of relief washed over me. I let her in, of course, mostly to tell her that she was the reason I was crying. And then something interesting happened: she hopped up on the couch and sat next to me. Before this, she wouldn’t even look at the couch if Adam or I were sitting on it, and if we joined her, she’d jump right off. This was not only progress, but a connection. She was apologizing.
Adam did a better job filling in that gap behind the garage, but she hasn’t shown any desire to be without us since. In the year she’s been with us, we have showered her with incredible amounts of love and attention. We talk to her all the time, take her on at least two long walks a day. I take her to work regularly, and I bought – and wrapped – her Christmas presents. We spend time brushing and massaging her, marveling in the huge smile that seemed impossible when she arrived with such sad eyes. I tell her every day she is loved.
She’s still not a cuddler, and she only sat on my lap once – to look out the window – but she now sits with us on the couch and finds her way into whatever room we’re in (she’s laying at my feet as I type). When I take her to work, she waits patiently for me to return from the kitchen and follows me to the printer – every time.
She greets us with joy every time we come home – she’s even developed this adorable whine when she’s really excited to see us. She’s a wonderful companion and has lifted me up when I didn’t know I was down. She has made me realize it’s worth it to be “inconvenienced” for someone you love. I’ve been able to prove that I will be here for her, not just temporarily, but for good.
What I enjoy the most is watching Tessie in our backyard on a sunny day. She likes to sit with her chin held high and looks towards the sun with her eyes closed. A breeze blows back the fur around her ears. She is truly happy, without a care in the world. This is how I know she knows she is loved, and she loves us.
Maria Poulos Pimentel is a New Jersey transplant now settled in New England. Maria works in marketing and publicity by day and snuggles with her sweet collie/shepherd/husky Tessie by night. She was a reluctant dog owner at first, but she’s quickly learning the ropes and discovering all the joys of doggie parenting. Maria will be sharing more of her adventures in dog love with PawsGo. You can find her previous posts on the PawsGo blog.
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