GUEST
All photos courtesy of Long Bois & the House Hippos.
THE ULTIMATE DOG MOM
You know how when you take a dog for a walk, and he isn?t quite running, but is very adamantly encouraging you to go in one particular direction? Nose to the ground, not exactly pulling, but there?s no slack on the lead, either? When I was first asked to write an op-ed about what it means to be the Ultimate Dog Mom, that is what happened. My mind took a beeline for what seemed like the clearest route. Obviously, I would write about our rise to becoming Facebook famous all because of our five dogs. Right? I sat down and pounded out a 2,000-word essay like the over enthused pup that knows where he wants to go but is really going nowhere fast. I wrote about where I started ? just a drug addict that was saved by God?s grace and mercy, and how I came to be a Stay-at-Home Dog Mom to two Great Danes, Jack and Lotto, and three Pitties, Sally, Kilo and Kain. But it was junk. Much like the walk I described earlier, that?s how the piece felt. It very clearly, matter of factly and without much emotion, walked you through the process of how I became successful enough to quit my job as a Financial Analyst and became what I assumed was the Ultimate Dog Mom, all because I found a way to stay home with them 38 | TEXASDOGMAGAZINE.COM
instead of ?working for the man.? It wasn?t terrible, but it wasn?t enjoyable either. It got the reader from point A to point B. But to be completely honest, it made me feel the same way I would if one of the dogs pooped on a walk and I forgot to bring a bag to pick it up; nonchalantly walking away hoping no one saw our faux pas. So I stepped back, and like a scent dog on a trail, while I could smell it, I knew I needed to adjust my course if I ever wanted to find it. Stressing to meet the deadline, and to no avail, I kept asking myself, ?What makes you the Ultimate Dog Mom?? I just couldn?t seem to put my finger on it. That is, until two of our pups got out of the backyard when a windstorm blew open our six-foot privacy fence gate. As I was running up and down the street in the pitch black, wearing only pajamas and uggs, no coat, seeing only the dark sky and white snow, I thought to myself, ?How could I possibly be the Ultimate Dog Mom if I allowed two of our dogs to go strolling the neighborhood?!? But that?s just it. The Ultimate Dog Mom is a lot of things, but the one thing she isn?t, is perfect. The Ultimate Dog Mom? She loves, not just fiercely, but without apology. She makes the tough decisions and follows through even when it's hard.
Sometimes she stays up late to clean up after a sick puppy then gets up early because well, let?s be honest, dogs can?t tell time. Sometimes she can?t handle listening to one more whiny bark, so she goes to bed before the rest of the house. She can?t go to the bathroom alone. She can?t go anywhere in the house alone. There is always an audience, always a boo-boo that needs kissed, a game of Bitey Face that needs calmed down, and the questions, ?Can I help you?? and, ?Why are you the way that you are?? come out of her mouth more often than she cares to admit. She finally finds that one dog hair that?s been poking her boob all day, and praising God, pulls it out of her bra, only to realize there is a hole in her sock from a game of puppy tug of war. Cursing her dogs, she says, ?You are why we can?t have nice things.? Almost immediately followed by feelings of guilt and shame, hugs and kisses, ?I?m sorry and I don?t mean that!? The Ultimate Dog Mom? She makes mistakes. The Ultimate Dog Mom does the jobs no one else wants to do. Not only does she host the Peanut Butter Parties, but she feeds and bathes, trims nails and grooms. She keeps track of medication and appointments. She wipes paws and washes bedding, sweeps and vacuums. She has the patience of a saint and even when that patience gets away from her at times, she is quick to rectify. She knows that dogs may not necessarily understand the words, ?I?m sorry,? but she says them anyway because they absolutely understand the feeling behind ?I?m sorry.? She?s late for work because she gives out kisses and says ?I love you?in abundance. She takes hundreds of photos trying to get the perfect shot. She gets overwhelmed during the day and sneaks to the bathroom to look at pictures and watch videos of her sweet pups that are just waiting for her to get home. She gets home from work, tired as can be, but still has time to hug each and every single wiggly body looking up at her.
