[J_is_my_initial]

My Fan
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Dog's Life

By Carol Band

My dog is usually pleased with what I do, because she is not infected with the concept of what I "should" be doing.
~Lonzo Idolswine

We have a new addition at our house.

Not a baby (thank goodness), but a puppy. If you think that I got the dog for my three kids, you're wrong. I got the dog for me. With two teenagers in my house, I need to balance their criticism of my clothes, my jokes and my driving ability with someone who will give me unconditional approval and wet kisses. I want someone who will roll over, not roll their eyes. My friends without teenagers don't understand. "A puppy is just like a baby," they say. "Your kids are barely out of diapers. Why would you want to start the whole housebreaking process all over again?"
I have to admit, during the first few weeks of new puppy parenthood I've been sleep deprived and slightly frazzled, but in lots of ways having a puppy is better than having a baby. My nipples aren't sore from nursing, and I know that in fourteen years the dog won't be a surly adolescent. He'll probably be dead. Having a dog is easier than having kids, too. I can leave the puppy locked up when I go out and the ASPCA thinks it's just fine. If I tried to crate my teenagers (and sometimes it seems like a pretty good idea) the child welfare authorities might not be real sympathetic. When I come home (even if I've locked him in a crate), the dog is happy to see me. In fact, he's ecstatic, and he covers me with those wet kisses. My teens don't even bother to look up from the computer screen. They just ask, "When's supper?"