the joy a dog can give you

I am running around in a park with Eddie chasing after me. I never like running but somehow racing around with a dog is so joyful. I always know I’m a dog person. But I’m also anxious around them. I try so hard to be their best friend the moment I meet one. So sometimes dogs take advantage of it and scare me, especially the big ones.

I didn't grow up with dogs even though my parents used to breed them for a living. They did have an old dog but she passed away when I was a toddler. So I didn't have many memories with her. After they had me, my parents stopped breeding dogs because it was too much to handle puppies and a baby at the same time. Even when I grew older, we didn't have dogs because mum had cancer and all we could care about was not losing her. She survived cancer, fortunately.

So the thought of owning a dog actually feels slightly scary to me. I didn't know if I could be good enough as a dog parent. I can't command them in a deep voice like George always tell me to. Instead, my voice is the highest pitch I can reach. Because of that dogs usually ignore me. Except for Golden Retrievers (bless their hearts!).

We first met Eddie a couple of weeks ago during our hike. It was a rare windless sunny day in Wellington so we were out on the Belmont Trig track. As we hiked up the winding hill, we saw our friend, Richard, walking down with this cutest dog I have ever seen in my life. An ambulance drove past us down. When Richard caught up with us, he said that was his mum in the ambulance. She fell and broke her ankle during their hike. But when Richard was telling the story about his mum, all I could pay attention to was this cute little dog. He looked curious with his ears perked up but stood patiently next to Richard. Eddie kept crossing my mind ever since our first encounter, so the next time we saw Richard I couldn't be happier when he said we could help walk Eddie while his mum is recovering. He could have said it out of politeness since I couldn't stop swooning over Eddie. But I took the offer seriously and contacted his mum the next day.

The first time we walked Eddie, there was a tiny mishap at the beginning. We just made it to the first corner of the street when I clumsily lost the hold of the lease. Eddie ran away from me. In a panic mode, I chase after him. I now learn that you should never chase after a dog when you want them to come to you. He saw the opportunity to tease me, so he took it by running back to his house while taking a few pauses to look back at me with a cheeky smile. I immediately thought, "that's it, this is the last time they will ever trust us with their dog!". Luckily, Richard's dad gave us a second chance that day. The rest of our walk went smoothly. We earned Eddie's trust after the first walk.

Eddie has warmed up to George and I a lot. He lets us rub his belly after our walk and wags his tail so cheerfully around us. I'd like to think that dogs can sense the love you have for them. And they reward you with so much pure joy and love in return. Eddie has also given me something very special. He makes me realise that the pure joy and abundance of love that a dog can give me will be so worth the commitment and responsibilities that come with caring for one. I cannot wait to own my first dog.