It took her months to find the right one. She scoured sites from across the nation. She visited local rescue agencies. She filled out forms. She drove out of state to meet dogs. She was interviewed. I was even interviewed as a reference.
The process was an exhausting one. But finally, the perfect dog came along. A little mixed breed with an adorable face, and demeanor to match. Though she initially wanted an older dog, she settled on a precious puppy and named him Bode.
After the first week of living with Bode, my friend questioned her decision. She knew it would be work, but she wasn’t prepared for the puppy’s neediness. She worried that maybe she wasn’t cut out for owning a pet. I said, “Just wait a bit and you’ll see. You’ll fall in love. It always happens.”
And of course it did.
She doesn’t like to leave Bode for long; he misses her too much. She set up his bed in her large kitchen, and got a nice little gate to keep him there at night. He now sleeps in her room. The kitchen gate is gone. My friend is totally smitten.
A few months ago, before Bode, my friend wanted to lose some weight. She is not heavy, maybe 10-15 pounds more than she wants to be. Her clothes, not her friends, know the difference. So rather than go on a formal diet of any kind, she became more observant of what she ate. Over the course of a few months, she lost a pound or two
Then along comes Bode and her plan to lose weight gets lost in all the excitement of having a new housemate and new routines.
Soon, she is walking five or more miles a day. A dog, even a small one, needs to exercise. She isn’t home as much, so there isn’t a lot of time to sneak snacks. Or even think about food.
Today she calls and guess what? She’s lost ten pounds in the two months she’s had Bode.
I am sure that when my friend thought of getting a dog, she didn’t consider the collateral benefits. But I know she is enjoying them.
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