Lately, I have been thinking more and more seriously about adding a puppy to our little household. We have been in the new house and had the cat for almost a year now and are getting very comfortable in our routines. So, I think we need something to shake us up a bit and a frisky, sweet puppy would be just perfect to do that:). To prepare myself for this enormous commitment I have been reading lots of dog training books from the library ( I highly recommend The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell), made CornyT place the Dog Whisperer in the Net Flicks queue, and started volunteering at the local Humane Society. I thought volunteering at the shelter would expose me to a lot of dogs so I can get a feel for the type of dog I want, teach me more about training, and just give me more experience around doggies. The shelter also offers a lot of dog training classes so what better way to supplement my doggie education.
Now, when I start a new volunteer experience I always worry if this will be something I will really enjoy donating my time too or if I will regret my sacrificed Saturdays and feel like it would have been better spent pulling weeds, raking leaves, or spackling. But after the first training class and one hour dog walking stint I had NO doubt I had made a good choice. I was so HAPPY being around all the dogs, walking them, learning how to train them etc. that when I came home I was in the best mood. CornyT suggested I go over on my lunch hours to relax me because work has been so stressful lately- not a bad idea. Also, it really helps that we don't have to do any of the yucky work like clean their cages or their messes. Another set of volunteers who are working off community service have to do that. It is pathetic but I actually am just dying for Saturday to get here so I can spend 10 to 12 in doggie heaven petting, walking and playing with as many sweet pups as I can get my hands on.
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