Today marks one year since our family adopted Zion from the humane society. Happy Gotcha Day to our pup!
Zion was born some time around January 9th, making him just over two years old. They say that Australian Shepherds start to settle down around age three. Thank heavens...
I'm not gonna lie--in some ways it's been a tough year. Coming home with a rescue dog on the spur of the moment is probably the most impulsive thing I have ever done. Particularly at the beginning, there were days of huge regret. Cleaning up his frequent accidents, I desperately wished there were an "undo" button where I could magically give him back without breaking my children's hearts. While Jason was always kind about me bringing so much stress and mess into our home, I felt lots of guilt about adding to his burden. Even though the two have bonded, Jason's still not a dog person. In truth, neither am I. Yes, I love Zion. But if it were only Jason and me, we certainly wouldn't have a pup.
On the positive side, I spend far less time fantasizing about life without a dog these days. For better or worse, Zion is a part of the family. For me, the turning point was this dream where Zion got seriously injured. In the dream, I was SO SAD that Zion might not make it. I knew that our family would miss him desperately. And so, even though I wish Zion would stop lunging after trucks, I hold his leash tightly.
It also helps to remember that Zion has made a ton of progress this year. He is far less anxious. He no longer has accidents (knock on wood), he can be trusted off leash on the trail, and he doesn't dart out the front door to chase motorcycles. He knows a bunch of tricks and is crate-trained. He generally plays nicely with other dogs (sorry Pickles), and is getting better about being calm when we have company. He usually allows us to sweep and is less psycho around the vaccuum. He rarely barks in the middle of the night and is a great car traveler. Plus as a bonus, he pre-washes our dishes and caught a mouse yesterday.
There are still behaviors we need to work on. I hate how he scratches at the window and barks at all the dogs who pass by. He jumps on people way too much, especially when you walk in the door. I worry that he will knock my parents over with a shove of canine joy. Plus, he still chews on everything. Socks and pencils are his favorites. He slyly steals socks out of the laundry basket, even as you are folding them. Heck, sometimes he will steal them right out of your hand as you are putting them on! Zion also loves to chew up all the plastic containers in our recycling. Over the year he's done some major damage, including shoes, ornaments, pens, 3D prints, prescription glasses, a retainer, hair clips, plus Jason's airpods. The airpods will forever live in infamy. Jason was so mad that he yelled at Zion (Jason never yells), and Zion was so disturbed that he regressed and peed the basement carpet for a week. Like I said, sometimes being a pet owner is tough!
Having a dog is expensive and inconvenient. I miss being able to travel spontaneously. Paying for boarding substantially increases the cost of any trip. As fully anticipated, the kids don't regularly clean up his poop or take him for walks or feed him as promised. While they'll do it if reminded, the primary responsibility predictably falls on Jason and me and we do most of the work. Also, I hate feeling judged for my dog's behavior. Gentle parenting is difficult enough with children--sometimes I don't have enough energy left to provide the mounds of positive reinforcement needed to train our pup well, especially when many of his behaviors are instinctive.
In retrospect, I wonder why I was drawn to a high-energy dog. While it's true that Zion is great company on the trails, having a couch potato pup would be so much easier. Zion needs substantial exercise and intellectual stimulation every day, whether we have time or not. It would be nice to occasionally take a day off and simply go for a walk around the block. With a lazy dog, we could still go on epic outdoor adventures--we just wouldn't have to take the pet with us. As it stands, I feel cut off from the Cottonwood Canyons. As protected watershed, dogs are prohibited there. If I have time or energy for a long hike, I head to Millcreek instead so that Zion can come along.
But hey, here are silver linings. Having an active dog really is good for your physical health. Zion get us out into the foothills, regardless of whether or not we have the time or energy. And the foothills are a marvelous place to be.
Zion is great emotional support too. His enthusiasm when you walk in the door is unparalleled, albeit overwhelming. I confess that it strokes my ego a bit to have him be SOOOOOO excited to see me. Should you ever need assurance, just walk out the door and come back two minutes later. He'll be just as excited as if you've been gone all day. Dogs certainly can teach us a lot about unconditional love.
Zion is pretty darn entertaining as well, especially in the evening when he gets the zoomies. With his silly antics, we are never bored. Most importantly, he is genuinely sweet. He may be a hyper mischief-maker, but he's never malicious. He will love and protect his herd to a fault. And so, even though I have no intention of ever owning a dog again, I'm glad that we are his herd.
