Skip to main content

Dog Sabbatical

Nearly seven years ago, our son came home with a furry mini tank of a puppy.

Only, my husband and I hadn't wanted another dog.

After our last dog crossed the rainbow bridge, we were on dog sabbatical, taking a break to travel. I liked the idea that, without a dog, I’d finally have the clean house I'd always dreamt of. With an active young family, cleaning was like shoveling in a snowstorm. When the first kid moved out, I could see the fantasy within reach, toothpaste-free mirrors, and days (maybe even a week!) free of vacuuming.

Enter Winston, a beautiful Greater Swiss Mountain, a 120-pound loveable bear of a dog who adores people. He rushes to greet visitors with such excitement, he fully believes they are coming to see him. His size makes him a presence you cannot ignore. Though, if he runs into you, it's like being tackled by a professional football player.

My fantasy of a clean house disappeared faster than Christmas cookies. Winston is the messiest dog we’ve ever had. He dirties rugs, smears windows with his nose, and scratches up our expensive wood flooring. He takes bucket loads of water in his mouth and drips it across the floors. Online sites call the breed’s beautiful black shiny coat easy care. Ha! Easy because it just falls out, literally every day, all year long. Tumbleweeds of hair populate by the minute. I can skate across my floors on his hair.

Despite all this, Winston grew in our hearts.

This past June, my son ventured from the nest and Winston went with him.

The house is tidy once again, and hallelujah, without daily vacuuming. There are no more hip checks on the way to answer the door. No being tackled when I get up each morning—that big bowling ball head pressing me into the wall, demanding a morning scratch. But there's also no excited scramble to join my husband and I in front of the TV in the evenings. No adoring eyes watching from across the room as I sit in front of my computer. No quiet companion for my husband's miles-long walks to de-stress. There's no jubilant fanfare when we arrive home.

Strangely, it's a little too quiet. Maybe it’s time for my husband and I to end our dog sabbatical — with a smaller, less messy four-legged companion.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meet Author John W. Howell

I'm happy to share my blog with with fellow member authors of  Rave Reviews Book Club   as part of the RRBC's  Pay It Forward Week. Initially introduced by author Bethany Turner, the concept of Pay It Forward is to profile, promote and propel another fellow club member to new audiences for the day. This month, I have the honor of hosting John Howell. John has authored two full-length books and is in his creative chair pumping out a third.  His most notable published work is the fiction thriller, My Grl , rated a Five Star Award by the book review site, Readers' Favorite.  (Read review here: Readers' Favorites ) Synopsis:  John J. Cannon successful San Francisco lawyer takes a leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. He is unaware that his newly-purchased boat had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John's first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital where he learns he was found unconscious...

#GIRLFIGHT Goodreads Giveaway!

Through September 30, enter to win one of 100 copies of my new book #GIRLFIGHT  Goodreads Book Giveaway #Girlfight by Suzanne McKenna Link Giveaway ends September 30, 2024. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

#FrightFall Read-a-thon

Fall reading So I'm about to start another read-a-thon with Seasons of Reading's #FrightFall Date: October 5-11 There's only one rule to #FrightFall, and it's that we must read ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who are faint of heart). I don't typically read thrillers or any of the above types of books, but for this one week, I'm going to expand my horizons and try one or two. Who knows? Maybe I'll find new genre to love! My first selection is Spirit Legacy (The Gateway Trilogy #1) by E.E. Holmes This was free on Amazon when I found it, but Prime and KU members can read it for free anytime. I'm extremely picky about downloading free books, but this had good reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads, and the synopsis was appealing: “The Gateway is open...” These cryptic words wake college student Jess Ballard from a terrifying dream into an even more terrifying reality. Jess...