A Small Partner in Crime Tue, Sep 03, 2019

I pretty much grew up with dogs. Our first family dog was a German Shepherd, and we got him when I was probably around 5 years old. The weird part is that I never really consider our family dog “my dog”, it was more like “our dog”. Since I’ve always had a family dog, I never realized what it was like to raise a dog. I would play with our dog and then be like “Okay, I’m done with you for now”. I would walk away and forget about the dog until I wanted to play with him again. That type of mentality changed last year when I got Robin. 

Raising your own dog creates a different but much stronger bond. I can’t be like “Okay, I’m done with you for the day” anymore and not feed him, or clean him, or take him to the vet. You literally have to raise it, and teach him/her what is good and what is bad behavior. It requires lots of patience, but I honestly have no complaints. I actually believe I’m a lucky dude for having this particular dog. I got him when he was only five weeks old, and he has never cried at night. Not even on his first night with me, which is extremely rare in puppies. Just like me, at 10:30pm he goes “Nigh night homies, I'm going to bed!”. Robin has also never chewed on any of my furniture or shoes, and he is very social with other dogs and humans. Robin is also pretty independent for a small dog. He will come get you to try to play with him, and if you ignore him, he goes “cool, I’ll go play by myself then! Nooo problem. I’ll have fun with or without you man” and he goes on and does just that. 

I didn’t really believe it before, but there is actually a special bond between a man and a dog. You learn from each other, especially when you raise the dog. It is crazy to think so, but Robin reminds me of an important life lesson every single day. When it comes to love and care, actions are more important than words. Dogs love their owners every day no matter what.They don’t tell you, but they demonstrate their love every time they see you. At least once a week I step on Robin and he holds no grudges against me. He immediately forgives me every single time. Regardless of his size, Robin shows me that he takes care of me. If a dog (no matter the size) stares at us while walking down the street, Robin will bark at that dog to let him know he is there. Every time I wash dishes, he sits next to my feet and faces the opposite side. He literally watches my back while I do the dishes. As I write this loop on the couch, he is sitting on my shoulder like a freaking bird. I would like to think that he is trying to take care of me by watching over my shoulders, but I honestly have no explanation for this behavior. He does some weird stuff sometimes. Regardless, I’m proud of my dog and even though it was by luck, I’m happy we found each other. The funny part is that he is actually turning one this month. Happy Birthday buddy. 

Robin when he was 5 weeks old

Robin now