I’ve always been surrounded by dogs. From the moment I was a baby and met my mom’s black miniature Poodle; to growing up with Bony, my first-ever pet; to Pepper, the schnauzer we ended up adopting before moving to Senegal and Simone, the frenchie who’s snorts woke me up every night on my last year of high school.
And now, there’s Mamba. She’s the latest addition to the ever-growing list of pups and paws who have marked my life in one way or another. She’s also the first to ever be truly mine. All my other dogs have been family pets, which means my parents have always always been the first to foot whatever vet bill, food run, or crazy toy tantrum that happens along the way.
That’s definitely not the case anymore. And, though I’m not totally alone in raising her, the experience of adopting Mamba has been totally different. And eye-opening.
Nearly two years after signing the papers, here are 5 things we’ve learned from adopting a dog.
When it comes to adopting, love always wins
I’m aware of how cheesy this is, but there’s a reason for the cliché: it’s true.
Mamba came to us terrified of men. She cowered whenever John got too close, or whenever he’d raise his voice at anything (football Sunday, anyone?). She would hide behind my legs or wrap herself around me on the couch and give him the side-eye while he rubbed her back.
And, with a little love, day after day, she warmed up to him. Today, they’re inseparable. She sleeps on his pillow, steals his shorts when we leave the house, and she’ll rub herself against his feet when she wants attention. Love changed her: from a skinny and terrified dog into a ball of energy that demands our love 24/7, even when we’re in the bathroom. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
Adopting is all about testing your patience
That said, we had moments of doubt when we thought it’d be impossible to rid her of these fears. But everyone deserves a second chance…and that’s what we decided to give her.
Everyone has their own story: dogs and people. Some stories are sadder than others. Some are tougher. That doesn’t mean change isn’t possible…it just takes time.
We knew we wouldn’t change Mamba in a night, or in a week, maybe not even within a month, but we knew that through patience and kindness we’d help her grow into the incredible dog she’s become today. A little pet here, a treat there, a cuddle, a head-scratch, a walk…these little actions all added up.
A dog-less life is a dull life
Honestly, Mamba has made us more fun people. We go outside more, we explore more new places, we travel more…all because she needs to be outside of the house, even when we don’t necessarily feel like it.
Dogs are living proof that we really don’t need much to be happy, and that those things we think we need are just extra noise. All it takes is a moment to play for the tail to start wagging out of control.
It’s worth taking risks
Adopting a dog is a huge step and you need to be ready to commit to a living animal for the next 12-15 years of your life.
When we first had Mamba, she was meant to be a foster. We’d take care of her for a few days while she found her perfect home and we’d move on with our lives. That clearly didn’t happen!
However, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t a risky decision: John and I knew we wanted to travel, and adopting a dog would flip that plan on its head. How were we going to travel with a dog? How would we move around? How would we find places to stay? How, how, how…this is how!
I can’t imagine my life today if we hadn’t called the NGO to tell them Mamba was ours forever. I don’t want to imagine what my life would like, either. We took a risk, it paid off, and we haven’t looked back.
Traveling with a dog isn’t that hard
Traveling with a dog isn’t hard, it’s just a little bit different. That’s what this blog is all about: teaching you and your pet how to move around the world one pawprint at a time.
Yeah, there are hotels that don’t allow pets. Yeah, some restaurants can be super picky. Yeah, airlines aren’t always welcoming…
But for every hotel, restaurant, and airline that isn’t pet-friendly…there’s another hotel, restaurant, and airline that will take you and your furry in with open arms. You just need to learn how to look, you need to be willing to research, you need to be eagle-eyed when it comes to reading the fine print…
Or, y’know, you can just hear it from us instead.
