Hi guys! How’s your weekend starting out? We’re taking it nice and easy for once. Just one birthday party planned and then, RELAX! Pretty stoked about it.
Today, we are talking PUPPIES!! A particular puppy named Jones, to be specific. This guy right here:
Those eyes, though!!!
Last year around this time, I had effectively begged Joe to the very edge of his patience to get a puppy. After years – yes, YEARS – he finally caved and muttered something that sounded like “yes.” I mean, if you tilted your head, cupped your hand to your ear and squinted your left eye, it was a very clear “yes.” So there was no denying me in my puppy craving after that. And make no mistake: I was seriously obsessed. Researching breeds, studying animal behavior, memorizing training techniques. I was more than ready. I had a Pinterest board named “I want a PUPPY” for crying out loud! Once Joe was on board, the search began. And the rest is history. We met Jones on July 19th of last year and it has been everything I hoped for + so much more than I could have expected.
Jones is the first dog I’ve raised. I’ve never spent a whole lot of time with canines, but I knew what kind of dog I didn’t want. So I was determined that we would train him to be obedient, considerate and sweet. I’m pretty impressed with this little dude. He can totally be embarrassingly obnoxious out of the blue, don’t get me wrong. But for the most part, especially considering his age, Jones is on top of his game. He makes me pretty damn proud on a daily basis. It’s something else to see your hard work demonstrated. Like when Jones is in a flurry of excitement but stops in his tracks to follow a command, all the while with his happy doggy smile and hyper tail going 100 miles per hour. We’re still working on a few tricky things, and more so me and Joe are working on agreeing to a routine for certain behaviors, but I have no fear that Jones will continue to impress and amaze.
I won’t deny it, I spoil the crap out of this dog. I spoil everyone that I love and Jones is kinda the kid I’ll never have. So this fur-baby of mine gets a stuffed Kong toy every morning to gnaw on while his humans work, he has bones (so many damn bones), inside toys, blankets, beds, collars, leashes, a special brush, a pool, outside toys, treats galore. He eats more nutritiously than most people I know. He gets twice daily walks, off-leash hiking, camping, dog parks and most recently, a beach house right off Dog Beach for vacation. Yeah, yeah, I’m a sucker. And I love my puppy. There are worse things! In return, this little nut loses his mind in excitement when he sees me, makes me laugh daily, keeps me on my toes and loves me unconditionally. Fair deal in my eyes.
I didn’t realize how dynamic having a dog really is. Like, if you are paying attention, you can see how much dogs are paying attention. I never would have known! And now, loving this little guy like I do, I have a compassion for dogs in a way that I never did before. I know all dogs are unique, but seeing how much Jones wants to make us happy, silently communicating with him to make sure he goes out to potty or has what he needs, watching him obey when you can tell the very last thing in the world he wants to do in that second is relax and go lay down. I never knew the dedication, respect and love a dog could have for his humans.
I consider us blessed to have found such an amazing dog to share our lives with. If Jones could speak English, I hope he’d say the same about his humans. One year in, and he’s got me wrapped around his paw. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Read more about bringing Jones home here. Camping with him here. What toys are good for dogs with a need for chewing here. And for just a little more puppy love, click here and here!
If you’re in the Phoenix area, and want to rescue a pup, we got Jones from Arizona Small Dog Rescue. I can definitely recommend them!
