My Dog Days of Summer

I have never said I was a dog person. In fact, I have ardently lived my life as a cat person, with stints of dog ownership (Joshua was a brown lab that bolted into the street and was hit by a car when I was in 1st grade; Mikey was our family's chubby cocker spaniel when I was a teen). I've had the same persnickety feline, Bootsie, since I was out of college. At nearly 18 years old, she is a spry old lady with no plans to leave this earth until she has made her mark everywhere. Starting with Raf's side of the bed and anything that smells like Marlowe.

But look at this dog. He's just happy-go-lucky, wants a little love and a good long walk. Somehow, he ended up at a high-kill shelter in Carson and was rescued by a fabulous organization called Indi Lab Rescue. We'd already filled out an application and had had a home visit... it was not unlike actually adopting a baby, with questions about our work habits, the way our family interacts, etc. I felt "scared straight" afterwards, wondering if we'd be a good enough home for a dog, even though I'm home all day and we have a large backyard...

I'm digressing. What happened is simply this: we found the perfect dog for our family. He's not a puppy, so I don't have another baby to deal with. He's about 5 years old and sort of mellow, likes to sleep by Raf's feet while he works. He doesn't nip at the kids or jump on people, but man does he love to chase squirrels and bunnies. He is not prissy like a cat. He just wants to love and be loved back. That's all. He's just kind of fun and happy, so we named him Gibby, after the kid on iCarly that likes to dance with his shirt off. (On walks, though, I introduce him as Gibson, which sounds a bit more classy.) He is exactly like Doug in the movie "Up!": "Hi, my name is Doug. I just met you and I already love you." That is my dog.

Raf is an excellent dog owner; so good, in fact, that a friend quipped, "You didn't adopt a dog, you adopted Raf's son!" Raf is joyful and easy in his interactions with Gibby and Gibby responds happily to the masculine attention. They eat the same way, slurping and chomping until they're full, then sitting back contentedly, enjoying the moment. Honestly, I'm discovering that I'm a better dog owner than I expected. Like Gibby, I love to take a 30-minute to hourlong walk in the mornings and I like to be in bed as close to 9 pm as possible. I like being in the moment. I'm learning to just deal with life and then, when the moment passes, move on.

Welcome to this crazy household, Gibby. We needed you!