Mom, I Got A Dog.
I wanted a dog the moment I left for university. Most of my moms energy was spent during this time convincing me not surprise her with another adopted animal… I surprised her with a horse one time in high school, so she knew I was more then capable of doing this with a smaller animal.
I refrained, and she convinced me a good replacement for now would be to take my love birds to university. I wanted them to be my best friend, but they weren’t terribly interested in human companionship and they were certainly opposed to quiet study times.
Still, I refrained from getting a dog.
Then I moved all the way across the country and landed in the Yukon, far enough away that I couldn’t feel the vibration of mom putting her foot down.
And then the phone call..."Mom, I got a dog".
Well, it wasn't such a quick transition from no dog to dog.
I have a bad tendency of refreshing dog shelter pages about 20 times a day. Then one day, on February 23, 2016, I saw him. His name was Nomad, which in hindsight was actually outrageously appropriate for his life to come.
He had been found roaming the streets in Whitehorse until someone brought him into the shelter. He was a little biter and I already loved him way too much.
There were a few obstacles to obtaining Eska. One, I had just given notice to my non pet friendly apartment and was seeking a new one with Virgil and our friend Jen, so no, I didn't have a legitimate reference from a pet friendly tenant or even a sure place to live. So, with a friend to vouch for me as my pseudo landlord and as a more or less homeless human being, I was finally allowed to pick up my new best friend. Eska.
With no available places to live (with two young puppies), Virgil and I bought a camper named Nelson for $1200 too much, we finally jumped into the relationship we had been denying for months, and we quickly became a family. This began the life long companionship of Eska and Tlapa, and our unusual relationship with living in homes on wheels.
Basically, life is full of choices, most are good, but some are definitely bad. Having a dog is difficult most of the time, but the rewards are always too tough to compete with. Sure, there's no such thing as a getting a relaxing beer while the dogs are howling in the van or camper, but you also know it's because they love you and you're a horrible dog trainer. Eska is my best friend, and now Tlapa is too. No regrets. Get your dog. It's a good call.