My Dog (She is part of my family after all) Akshat Iyer

OK, so first of all, I hope that my brothers don't read this, because otherwise, the gig is up. This knowledge could very well break them, as they still believe in the "Christmas Spirit" and all. I don't think they will be reading this, so I should be fine. Otherwise, things may go sour quickly between them and my parents, and I will just have to avert my eyes and pretend that nothing ever happened. Anyways, this is the story of how I got my dog. And no, she didn't come flying through the chimney into the living room next to the Christmas tree, contrary to what my siblings think. It was actually a much more drawn out experience, with a lot more anxiety and excitement arising. Anyways, let's start from the beginning.

The beginning, you may think, would be sometime during December, however, this whole pet business started sometime back in June. By that time, we were seriously considering getting a dog, because they were just a great companion to have around you at all times. However, there was a problem. I was slightly allergic to dogs. This was first noticed when I went to a friend's house (you know who you are), and then went to the movies to watch Spiderman: Homecoming. By the end of the movie, both of my eyes were swollen shut, and I couldn't see a thing. I concluded that the one factor that differed when I normally go to the movies and now, was the environment I was in before the movie. The environment at my friend's house. That's right. Full of dogs, cats, birds, you name it. Now, the birds were caged, and the cats were on the other side of the house, so I naturally assumed it was the dogs, as they were all over me when I first walked in. My parents took me to the allergist, and as it turns out, this suspicion was correct (I was apparently more allergic to cats than dogs, but dogs were still giving me a reaction). This proved to be a problem while we were choosing a dog. My parents did a lot of research on trying to find a good mix of a hypoallergenic dog but not choose a poodle, because from what friends said, poodles are too smart and they act like they are better than you. We also wanted to get a female dog (please don't make any jokes about that, as I have probably already used them) because we heard that they were easier to maintain. So, we settled. The dog that we were going for was a Golden Doodle, a mix of a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. This meant that the dog was going to be hypoallergenic, but have the sweetness of a Golden Retriever. They also didn't shed, which was a huge plus for us, because that is the main factor in causing allergies. So, we made a decision. Our new dog needed to be picked up somewhere during Christmas time, and so that is exactly what happened.

It was about time. December 24th. The sky was getting darker. I was chosen to go with my dad to make it look less suspicious about where he is going so my brothers wouldn't catch on. Oh, my, goodness. Those 3 hours were the greatest yet most nerve-racking hours of my life. We were going to an animal hospital in Delaware to pick her up, and while we were going there, I kept on thinking whether or not she would like me, whether or not she would cause me to not get any sleep, and so on. However, when we got to Delaware, I immediately was like, "Yes, this is my dog." She was very quiet and passive, yet she was also very sweet and loved to come into my arms and just sit there for all eternity. She got into the car, and all she wanted to do with me was to sit in my lap and sleep. It was the start of something new. When we got home, of course, we had to hide the dog from my brothers, but when we introduced her on Christmas day, my brothers were ecstatic.

Was the 3-hour drive worth it, you may ask? To that, I say OF COURSE. Pets are amazing, as they will give you their unconditional love as long as you give them yours (except if it is a poodle. Apparently they hate everyone). Pets are an amazing addition to a family, and mine was no exception. I ask all of you to think back to when you got your first pet, and if you don't have one, then you may be missing out. They are truly a magical addition to your loving family.

Puppy!