From TWO to THREE

"Never imagined that I'd have to see this day!"

"Are you serious!?"

That was the exact emotion when my husband started discussing getting a pet. I had always been terrified of dogs; during my childhood, I was one of the kids who wouldn't get down at someone's house from the safety of our car unless their dog was taken into the deepest room of the house! So imagine the horrors of being with a dog in the same home - 24×7. To top it off, what about cleanliness?? Yes, I have a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to it; I like everything to be spic-and-span, and I couldn't make peace with the thought of hair all over the place, chewed furniture or saliva spots at all seating places! Yuck! And moreover, I wondered if we could take care of it – from feeding to grooming, exercising and veterinary care. So it was really a long haul.

Despite my reactions, my husband was unshakable! Not a day passed without debates and persuasive attempts, including numerous articles/ videos on house training and obedience (Cesar Millan’s Dog Whisperer, Leader of the Pack and Book Sets - just to name a few!). Besides, I came across many blogs listing the pros and cons of having a pet, and honestly, the pros vastly outweighed the cons. Like, one of the many facts was how pets can strengthen the emotional and physical health of the owners by decreasing anxiety levels and promoting positivity. This prompted the change of mind to say Yes. It took me two months to accept that things would work out with a pet, but I still don't remember exactly why I said Yes.

“What next? Of course, selecting the right breed!”

We wanted a breed compatible with our lifestyle, but who knew it was vice versa! I will talk about this in other posts. There were plenty of breeds to choose from until I discovered my husband was dead on wanting a German Shepherd! He grew up with German Shepherds (GSDs) and considered them the most loyal. I agreed that they are undoubtedly exceptional, yet I found them ferocious. So instead, I thought of going with a happy-to-see-everyone kind of breed like a Labrador or a Golden Retriever, beauty with brains!

He researched and compared their characteristics (maintenance, temperament, shedding, and intelligence) to give my choice a thought. After considering all these great breeds and keeping in mind my husband's passion (and biased comparison!), we ended up short-listing GSD! We even did amateur temperament checks for the puppies that we met (more Play Time!) Finally, my husband's uncle, a veterinarian, referred a reputed breeder located in Ghaziabad; this was the best bet for us. Moreover, it was love at first sight with the pup's father, Dusty, so our fate was sealed, and we were all set to bring our furry companion home!