Growing up with a dog in the house made for some of my favorite childhood memories. My parents got my fluffy white dog, Sascha, before I was even born. She was always there for me, and I never knew what life was like without a dog. Pets have it in their instincts to be protective, caring and compassionate. That’s all I’ve ever experienced with the two dogs I’ve grown up with.
Owning a pet is an incredible experience. They provide companionship and a sense of security. During a transitioning period, my family went a couple months without a dog, and the feeling in the house was very different. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before because my dog was always around.
The most difficult part comes when they get older and start to go downhill. It’s something I never thought I’d be prepared for; it crossed my mind when I was younger, but I kept telling myself that the day was a long time away. Unfortunately, that day came when I was in fifth grade. My family had to make the hardest decision and put Sascha to sleep. At 15 years old, she was living a miserable life. Diabetes had completely overtaken her. She couldn’t walk without falling, and she couldn’t even eat dog food anymore; we had to feed her baby food. After much thought and discussion, my family decided to put her to sleep. Deciding on the actual day felt like ripping off a band-aid. We didn’t want to do it but keeping her alive would’ve been torture for her.
A couple months later, we found another fluffy white ball of joy, and when she was eight weeks old, we brought her home. Still not over the loss of my other dog, I was worried that I wouldn’t feel a connection to our new dog Sophie. Sascha was such a laid back and happy dog, and she was all I ever knew. When I was a baby, she would lay under my crib and just stay with me. I didn’t grow up with a rambunctious puppy in the house.
I was definitely wrong about Sophie. From the beginning, she stole my heart with her tiny paws and adorable face. I may be biased, but I think she was one of the cutest puppies. Still, only being in fifth grade, I wasn’t overjoyed when she would jump on me or nip my hand when she was really excited, but over the years, we’ve become so close that I can’t even believe I had doubts about getting her in the first place.
Currently eight years old, Sophie is a semi-mellow, people-loving and caring dog who still goes “crazy” when she sees a new face, human or canine; it doesn’t matter to her. Sophie has insane instincts. She can always tell if I’m physically sick or if I’m just having a really bad day. You can always find her on the couch watching TV with me. Her favorite shows include “Ellen,” “The Fosters” and “Friends.” Leaving her to go away for college was extremely difficult. I was dreading saying goodbye to Sophie. I wondered if she would recognize me when I came back, but I can honestly say that when I go home to visit, we go back to how we always were.
I can’t imagine not having a dog or a pet in general. Both Sascha and Sophie have had a huge impact on my life, and without them, things just wouldn’t have been the same. Now I’m just thinking about how there are only two more weeks until I see Sophie again.