This is Inge. As you can tell, she's just a puppy now, and I'm going to go pick her up next week. Many of you know that I already have cats, whom I love to pieces, and I thought long and hard about getting a dog, even one as cute as Inge is.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that having a dog will be good for me. Of course, I'm aware that as a baby, she will require a lot of care and training, and I'm reading up at length about what items I will need to take care of her, and what her training needs will be. I've also taken steps to make sure the cats have safe places to be dog-free, and that she will not be able to get into their food dishes or litter boxes.
But here's what she's going to do for me: she's going to take me for walks. Since she will always be little, I won't have to go galloping after her, and she won't need to go 10 miles at a time, but she will walk at a nice pace around the block a time or two when she's fully grown, and I will go with her. Or we'll go to a park and walk around the park (there is a nice one not too far from me). I also have a yard, and we can play fetch in the yard, and I will be able to get some sunshine to boost my levels of vitamin D. In the summer, we will go in the cool of the morning or evening, and in the winter, we'll go in the middle of the day, when it's warmest. It will be good for me, because I have a hard time motivating myself to walk on my own, but having a little pal to walk with will make all the difference, because I feel very responsible for my animals. Knowing that she needs the exercise and will be eager to go will motivate me in a way that I haven't been able to do for myself. Thus the concept of Inge as therapy dog.
And best of all, she'll reward me with cuddles when I need them. I think it will be a good deal for both of us! :-)
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