Anecdotally speaking, people have been adopting dogs in record numbers over the last few months, and they’re onto something. For one, since we’ve been staying at home more, it’s an ideal situation to both focus on training your dog and bonding with it. For another, having a dog brings a sense of normalcy and stability to your life: you have to feed and exercise it on a very regular schedule, which forces you to take much-needed breaks—and for me, especially, walking my dog, Zuni, has been critical in terms of both my physical and mental health. But most importantly, Zuni and I have an emotional bond that’s hard to put into words that don’t sound cheesy. But I will try.
I’ve known for a long time that motherhood was not for me, but that having a pet was something I could (hopefully) handle. I like to call having a dog “motherhood lite”—a lot of the responsibilities and benefits are similar, but not as weighted. For example, I am responsible for Zuni’s health and welfare, so I take her to the vet, make sure she takes her anti-heartworm and flea medication, and I feed her regularly. I also have to train her, so that she knows wrong from right and is a good canine citizen. In return, I get her unconditional love: lots and lots of kisses from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, doggie “hugs” when she leans against me, staring (these are her bids for my attention), and lots of tail wagging, especially when I come home after being gone for a bit. Zuni is not actually human, but she understands a lot of words and probably more of my body language and actions than I realize. I know having a dog is not nearly the same experience as having a child, but it’s a very special bond nonetheless.
A big part of how I care for Zuni is what I feed her. Zuni is an incredibly smart dog with a ton of energy, so we need to make sure her food gives her enough fuel to stay active, mentally and physically, so she can live a long and healthy life. Zuni is a super-picky eater, but she loves Wellness CORE RawRev Wholesome Grains, and since she’s a dainty 22 pounds, we feed her the Small Breed recipe. It has a high-protein mix of turkey, spinach, and flaxseed, plus freeze-dried raw bits—we call these “meat marshmallows” because she always eats them first, like kids do with the marshmallows in their cereal. If you have a bigger dog, go for the Original version.
Having a dog is a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it, and especially given the events of the last few months, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. So if you’re thinking about getting a dog, do it!
