Ever made a life-changing decision with little thought behind it? What about a LOT of thought? How did that work out for you?
For some reason, whenever people find out that I got a puppy in my last semester of college, I am met with interesting faces and lots of questions such as “that’s a lot of responsibility!”… yes I know. Mainly, I am met with criticism from the older crowd, but lots of people my age have said “I would NEVER do that”, and my question is why?
For months, my boyfriend and I had been talking about getting a puppy. This is something that we thought a lot about and really considered. We knew we wanted one when we graduated, before we started working, but we decided to make the decision a little early. I researched a TON of breeders in the area, and messaged a few. We were still uncertain, and questioning our judgement for a few weeks. We got really serious about it during Winter Break, and with five weeks of no school, we thought: “What better time than now?”
When I messaged the breeder, it was still not super real to me. I had to make sure she wasn’t a scammer trying to get over two grand out of us. She called me on the phone, and said “Just come meet him!! There’s no pressure!”. So, we went a few days later and met our future boy. When we got there, our puppy’s sister had just left and gone to her new family. We walked into the little puppy area, and saw our sweet guy! We fell in love instantly. There was no question. He was coming home with us.
Our Gunner boy slept the entire 1.5 hour ride home from Redding. We had a bed for him, toys, a potty mat, and a collar. It was love at first sight! We were so excited.
Over the next few weeks, we bonded. Gunner and I were best friends. We snuggled together every night, went on walks, played, and had so much fun together. He really completed a part of me that I didn’t know I was missing. I know that sounds so ridiculous, but college can be so lonely. And so difficult. Having him was a constant reminder that somebody loved me and cared about me. To him, I’m his everything, you know? He doesn’t go to class or see his friends, he just has me and my boyfriend, everyday, spending time with him.
He really gives me a purpose and reason to be productive. He gets me up in the morning and gets me outside to walk. Truly, my mental health has skyrocketed since I’ve had him. I feel so loved! It sounds so crazy, I know, but having this responsibility has forced me to prioritize and grow up. Life was starting to feel really gloomy and scary with the idea of graduating and moving on from my college lifestyle that I’ve known for the past four years. He really reminds me that everything is going to be okay, and that I have a little meaning in my life.
So yes, getting a dog was a little bit of a crazy idea. But it has truly worked out for the very best. I love him so much and I don’t regret a single thing!
So, if you’re thinking about getting a pet.. this is your sign!