The Dog Made Me Do It

     It wasn't until I became a pet owner that I realized how most of the time I speak, it's to myself.  Adopting a dog has only helped to mask the madness.
     My Lucy is a ratty, underweight, brown and white terrier mix with bald spots on her legs, and the boniness of an underweight  roasting chicken.  I originally saw photos of her online and passed on to the next dog- like me, she doesn't photograph well.  But when we walked into the Bideawee shelter in Manhattan, it was love.  She was sweet, shy, playful, and didn't bite.  Perfect.
     I find myself doing things I never thought I would do as a dog owner... or a sane person.  While I don't have her strapped to a baby carrier and tote her all over Brooklyn, here are just a few of the things I can't believe I do because I love Lucy.

1)  I am out of my house at 6:40 walking my dog.  (just a few short months ago, I complained daily on Facebook how I always missed the school bus.)
2)  I am picking up canine waste in public and carrying it around in a lavender scented bag until we reach home.
3)  I am telling my dog (in public) that barking in excess is not polite.
4)  I am on my knees on random blocks ripping bones that she finds on the street from her jaw as she clamps down tighter.  "Seriously Lucy, if chicken bones were diamonds, I'd be a millionaire!" 
5)  I do a happy dance over outdoor excrement and urine.  As Joe shakes his head in embarrassment I explain that I'd much rather Tango over pee outside than clean up the poop deck inside.

6)  With an extra name in the house I find myself calling my daughter Joycee, Lucy mistakenly.
7)  I am gushing to a pup.  I am talking in a very high pitched 'mommy talking to baby' language.  As she stares at me with her brown saucer eyes,  I know that she too feels the same.
8)  I admire other dogs on the street, I ask about the breed, the name, and the vet they chose.  I make small talk with strangers walking their pets.
9 )  I proudly show friends photos of our newest addition.
10)  I realize that the impatience I have with my kids is my problem alone.   If I can teach a dog in a calm voice not to pee in my house, not to scratch my furniture, and not to chew on my shoes, it would only be fair if while doing homework I extend my kids the same courtesy.
     Yes, rescuing a dog has changed the dynamics of our home, and so far...it's been for the better.