Perks of a Pup

Before Nike came into my life, I went to the gym four or five times a week. Now I consider myself lucky if I can get to the gym twice in a week. Exercise has always been very important to me so my drastically reduced gym time has been frustrating. Needless to say, I couldn’t have been more thrilled when I stumbled across an article called, “Perks of a Pup” in my Women’s Health magazine today .

If you need an exercise buddy, you should consider the four-legged variety, according to research presented at the Conference of the International Society for Anthrozoology. Volunteers walked five days a week with either a dog or a friend or a spouse. At the end of the 12 weeks, the dog walkers were more fit and could hoof it faster than those who walked with people. Attitude is contagious, says researchers. Dogs are always eager to go outside, and that enthusiasm spreads to their human companions. On the other hand, the two-legged workout partners discouraged each other with excuses like “I’m too tired today.” Another canine bonus; You won’t get away with slacking off. “Dogs need to be walked frequently,” says principal investigator Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri.

It makes perfect sense. Sure, I’m no longer sweating it out at the gym for 1.5 hours every other morning. But I am taking Nike out for walks several times each and every day and I can no longer get away with slacking off. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to “hoof it faster” after several more weeks with my pup!

“Wait, Nike? Like the shoe?”

When I tell someone Nike’s name I typically get one of two reactions:

Wait, Nike? … Like the shoe?

Followed by an awkward silence because the person clearly does not approve of the name I choose for my pup.

or…

Nike?! That’s awesome!

Whenever I get the second response, I know I’m in for a good conversation. Typically these encounters take place in the small park in front of where Nike and I live. It’s funny — the people (and their respective dogs) who take an immediate liking to Nike’s name (followed by a liking to Nike himself) end up becoming regular park friends (for me) and playmates (for Nike), whereas those who aren’t immediately fond of Nike’s name simply become park acquaintances.

Again, the nuances of owning a dog. Fascinating.

“He’s just the cutest puppy ever.”

Each time I take Nike out for a walk, we meet someone who comments on his cuteness.

The other day we passed a woman on the sidewalk who said:

Oh! I remember this puppy! I know there are a lot of dogs in this area, but really, he’s just the cutest puppy ever!

I’m not sure if Nike’s getting a big head from all the love and attention, but I know that I certainly am! Each and every time someone makes a remark about his appearance, a huge wave of pride washes over me. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not actually responsible for his genetic good fortune.

If the president can handle a dog…

…I should be able to handle one too.

It’s not like I have a country to run or anything.

I stumbled across this story today on washingtonpost.com. Granted it was written almost a year ago, but I couldn’t have come across it at a better time.

My favorite quote from the article:

What is important, to the Obama family and to anyone else out there thinking of getting a dog, is to just do it.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Nike and I had a very difficult week. I am in the middle of trying to train him. He honestly doesn’t need to improve in too many areas, but he’s a puppy so naturally there are a few kinks that need to be sorted out. Primarily: jumping, chewing and barking.

This week we have mainly been consumed with the barking.

He actually doesn’t bark much at all. He never barks at other dogs. He never barks at people. He only barks when I leave the apartment or when he needs to go out in the middle of the night. Apparently, the later was a nuisance to one of my neighbors. If you could even call him a neighbor…he lives on the floor above us, several apartments down. Yeah, I know, kind of strange, right? Especially considering that my next door neighbors don’t even hear Nike at night. Regardless, this “neighbor” of mine showed up outside my door at 4am when I was taking Nike out and then proceeded to file a formal complaint with the management of my building.

Since then, everything has been a bit chaotic. I haven’t been able to continue properly training Nike since the complaint. Prior to this disruption, I would let him bark it out a bit, so to speak, at night. If he could hold it all day, I knew he didn’t have to go out every other hour at night. It was working. He was barking less often and for shorter periods of time. Now, however, I can’t really let him bark at all out of fear that we may get another warning. Needless to say, this has greatly hindered my ability to properly train him and he is now very confused.

We’re in the midst of trying other methods, the results: to be determined. But it was nice to see that article in the Post. Just another reassurance of the fact that Nike and I are meant to be. This week has been the most challenging week of our time together thus far, but I know (at least I really hope) that we’ll get through it.

Uh oh, Nike! The snow is melting!

All of the snow from the DC snowpocalypse is melting and Nike is not very happy about it. After all, snow has been on the ground for practically his entire life. He didn’t quite know what to think last week when it warmed up and patches of grass started to appear. Whenever we go outside, it seems as if he is on a determined mission to find whatever snow is left. In fact, he hasn’t ever done “his business” on the grass!

I’m starting to wonder what he’s going to do when the snow disappears entirely! Hopefully Nike doesn’t become OCD like his mommy!

Our first 2 weeks together (in photos)!

Nike just loves playing soccer like his uncle Scott…

And he loves to snuggle in his bed from Grammie!

He likes to eat & then play with his dish…

He loves to snuggle up with mommy & nap on the couch.

And he just can’t get enough rawhide!

Decoding dog owner body language.

Apparently all dog owners (or most dog owners) belong to a special club of sorts. This is a club that you can’t really understand until you own a dog yourself, which pretty much grants you automatic membership to the club. There really is a whole sub-universe out there…a whole separate dog owner culture, if you will.

Dog owners understand each other. They know when the dogs of other dog owners want to play. They can tell when other dog owners would rather their dogs be left alone. They know which dogs will get along and play nice with their dog. And, perhaps most importantly, they instinctively know which dogs (and other dog owners for that matter) to avoid.

I don’t think I have reached this enlightened level of understanding quite yet. Nike wants to play with every dog he meets. Correction: Nike wants to play with every dog he sees. At first I thought it was great that I had such a curious and friendly puppy. But I have quickly started to realize, this characteristic isn’t always a good thing.

Most of the dogs and dog owners we have encountered have been wonderful. The dog owners have allowed their dogs to play with Nike while they have provided me with some fantastic new mommy tips. However, this hasn’t always been the case.

Sometimes we’ll come across a dog and dog owner who will immediately veer themselves in the opposite direction upon seeing me and Nike. Other times the dog owner will let their dog say hello to Nike only to quickly pull the dog away, without a single word to either Nike or myself. Nike really doesn’t understand this. And to be honest, I haven’t fully wrapped my mind around it either.

Granted, I understand not every dog will get along with every other dog. But a little acknowledgment never hurt anyone. I guess I have started to realize that some dog owners in the special dog owners club have a greater sense of entitlement, so to speak. Their dog is perfectly trained, perfectly groomed, or – as they most likely see it – just perfect. And so therefore, they don’t need to go out of their way to allow their dog to make friends with a puppy who is just as wonderful as their dog, but still a bit rough around the edges.

Needless to say, I have a lot to learn about owning a dog. And understanding the mannerisms and nuances of fellow dog owners is something that has risen to the top of that list.

A spontaneous adopotion.

I’d like to call myself a spontaneous person, but the fact of the matter is that I am typically the opposite of spontaneous. I’m a planner, I like organization and I rarely make impulsive decisions.

Recently, however, I have started to break free of that mold…well, to a certain extent.

About a year ago I made a quick and impulsive decision that completely changed my life. I decided to quit my job in Boston and move back down to my home state of Virginia, all the while keeping my fingers crossed that I’d be able to beat the odds of a shaky economy and find a new job in Washington, DC. Amazingly enough, it worked out! Everything fell into place far better (and far faster!) than I could have ever expected.

And two weeks ago today, I made another quick and impulsive decision that is quickly starting to change my life all over again. I adopted a puppy.

Needless to say, I have been wanting a dog for quite a while. It just never seemed to be the “right” time. I was too busy (and too selfish!) in college. I was way too busy (and still a bit too selfish) in grad school. Once I finished school, however, I was beyond ready to have a bundle of fur in my life. But, unfortunately, dogs were never allowed in any of the apartment buildings I lived in while I was in Boston. So, yet again, the timing was off and it didn’t work out.

And then I moved here. All of a sudden I found myself in dog-friendly apartment building in a dog-loving neighborhood. I couldn’t help it: the puppy itch was back. It was practically impossible for me to leave my apartment without running into a handful of happy dogs and their caring owners. But it still didn’t seem to be the right time…I was busy adjusting to a new city and a new job and I was starting to realize how painful it was not to be able to split the bills with a roommate. So each day I tried to push the itch out my mind.

And it worked…until I met Nike. It was fate. We were meant to be. I guess the Nike (referencing the brand this time, not the puppy) slogan really applies here. I certainly acted on the “just do it” mentality when I impulsively decided to bring this little bundle of love and energy into my life! And so here I am, two weeks later, the mommy of an adorable, loving and extremely high energy 12-week-old puppy! Stay tuned for stories about the adventures and challenges of our new life together!