And He Is Home!

"What was I thinking?"

It was October 22nd, 2016 and I was still wondering – “Is this really happening? What was I thinking?”. Yes, the long anxious wait as to-be Pet Parents was finally ending and all the conflicting thoughts were making me both, excited and nervous! On one hand, I was equipped with the knowledge from all those Discussions, Articles, Blogs and Videos; but on the other hand, I knew that the theoretical concepts could blow right in my face! However, since there was no convincing ‘my stubborn excellency’ – we had dived in and hoped for the best.

The Preparation

There was a lot of excitement in the air. However, as amateur pet parents, we were struggling with Do’s and Don’ts. Luckily, we found Just Dogs to be the go-to-place for all our usual needs until we could figure out the specifics from experience. Online portals, such as HeadsUpForTails and DogSpot, had an excellent collection as well and we bought the all essentials such as steel bowls, collar, leash, dry bath, chew toys, soft treats, dog food, and so on. We prepared a separate room for the youngest member of our family and kept wondering if we were missing something; I think the only item we missed was a decoration on the wall saying, “It’s a Boy!” Anyhow, the preparations were completed (or we thought so!) and we were eagerly waiting for an update from Dusty’s family.

The Confirmation

My husband got off the call, came to me with a wide grin and said, “He’s coming!”. Having received the transport details, we were wondering how would a puppy travel by air. We were trying to find the answers online, but somehow it wasn’t very clear and well, my husband doesn’t make calls since ‘Men don’t ask!’. So, we just took off to the airport with the consignment number and flight details. Oh yes, he was no commoner – it was day 1 and the entire family was standing at the arrivals (we just did not hold up a placard with his name!). However, since ‘Men don’t ask’, we were waiting at the wrong terminal, face palm. We finally inquired at Air India office and rushed to the new location – Air Cargo Complex, Ahmedabad.

The Anxiety

Call it our unlucky day, Max was travelling with a few delegates and all cargo was delayed. My distress was now at its peak thinking about the poor soul! 45 days old kid, having travelled for hours in an enclosed crate – in cargo – all alone – with loud noises and nowhere to relieve himself! And my husband was still standing there like a tree. On some days, I really wish that he would use more words! Anyhow, after waiting for almost an hour and having made numerous inquiries – he finally came, and the feeling was just WOW! I couldn’t take my eyes off the adorable fur-ball! Although he did look anxious and I had never handled a dog before, I couldn’t help putting my fingers through the crate to touch him… and it went from ‘WOW’ to ‘OUCH’ in an instant – his teeth were needle sharp! My husband just rolled his eyes on coming back after wrapping up the paperwork but well, at least I got the first touch (or, maybe he drew the first blood!).

Home Sweet Home

We carefully placed the crate at the back seat, cautiously held by my sister, and picked up speed to reach home. I opened the crate as soon as we were in his room and waited for him to come out – and there he was! He was like a tiger, emerging from his den; breath-taking! We had placed a water bowl in front of the crate (assuming he’d be thirsty) and Splash – the other paw landed in it. I was amused to watch him, drinking water by curling his tiny tongue backwards; and after 4 sips, he got more playful with water. I was watching in awe, like a mother watching the first step of her baby! He was indeed my first four-legged furry kid, Max! Lost in thoughts, I did not realize that he had started sniffing, exploring and circling; before I could (rather, we could) react, he abruptly stopped and took a leak – pooped too, faster than the blink of an eye. Without a worry, he just skipped over the mess – and was off to exploring his kingdom; the one that he’d rule, in addition to our hearts.

What Next?

Since its a parent’s duty to tidy up – we cleaned the mess, prepared his bed and slept in the same room as him for the night. Like I dreaded, I still had a lot to learn; for example, I did not know about the amount of mess a puppy can make in one night! By devil’s hour, there was pee and poop all over the place; the mess that I had imagined was starting to unfold! However, it was still a “Silence before the Storm” and a lot more was going to hit us in days to come; but that story is for another day! Important thing being – Max had entered our lives and he was going to change our emotions completely!

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