It's Good For You

I remember getting back from my Club Med vacation many years ago. It was the first trip I took by myself since I didn't have a boyfriend at the time. Even though I had an awesome trip, I looked forward to going home. When I finally did get home, I noticed the emptiness of my apartment which I had never felt before. Prior to living in that apartment in Reseda, I always had roommates, so it was the first time living alone. Gosh, the feeling of being alone was so distinct it made me feel sad and rather lonely. AND, I clearly recall thinking how nice it would have been to have a dog at least greet me when I came home. But there was no one.

It's funny how your thought can manifest so quickly because later that night, I got a call from my sister Dal asking me how my trip went, and then she asked if I were interested in having a little dog. The timing of her question was somewhat eerie. She explained that there was this family who was looking for a home for their dog. Apparently, the dog was bought for their young son who ended up abusing the dog. The boy was picking up the dog and throwing her on the floor. So, the parents felt the dog needed a different home. Dal's mother-in-law at the time had wanted the dog but her apartment manager wouldn't allow her so my sister thought of me.

"The dog is so cute and tiny," my sister said. She paused and then asked, " You can have a dog in your place, right?"

"Ehh, I think so," I replied but I really didn't know. The thought never entered my mind. "What kind of dog is it?" I asked.

"She's a Chihuahua. The lady says she has papers for her but that she's willing to sell her for seventy-five dollars," said Dal.

"Umm, I guess I can look at her but that's all," I said firmly.

The next day I went with my sister to look at the dog. As soon as I walked into the house, a little black Chihuahua ran up to me, stood on her hind legs and put her front paws on me to be picked up. This is how I got Ripley. Ripley wasn't her original name. I changed it to give her courage and strength since she was abused. Ripley came from Sigourney Weaver's character in the movie "Alien" who showed those qualities. A new name for a new life.

To be honest, I didn't get Ripley because I immediately fell in love with her. That didn't happen until I got her home. It was more about rescuing her from that evil boy. When Ripley wanted to be picked up during our first meeting, I felt instinctively that I had to take her. I never even thought about the consequences of that decision. I knew nothing about having a dog except that it needed to be walked. We had dogs growing up but my parents were the main caretakers. So, Ripley was my first dog as an adult, and she was just four months when I got her. Having a puppy was tremendous work which I soon discovered. Along with the work came the vexation and stress with having a puppy and being an inexperienced owner.

It took more than a few walks before Ripley learned she needed to pee and poop during that time. I was so excited when she finally realized what to do. But even so, she peed and pooped everywhere in my carpeted living room because she had free range of the entire apartment except for my bedroom. I didn't know I had to put her in a crate to train her while I was at work. Again, I was totally clueless. At least, Ripley wasn't much of a chewer. She only destroyed two of my shoes in her whole puppyhood.

There was one night that infuriated me to the point of giving up Ripley. I had come home really late from work and found that Ripley had defecated in about five different places and nowhere near her designated area. Her stools weren't all solid either because I wasn't feeding her the best of foods but didn't know it then. I was oblivious to canine nutrition. Nonetheless, I was so angry and aggravated especially since I was exhausted from work. At the time, I was a massage therapist and taught massage therapy up in Palmdale twice a week, and my schedule during those two days was from nine in the morning to nine at night with a huge break in between. It was a split shift. I couldn't go home because Reseda was just too far. Those two days must have been dreadful for a little pup being left alone for that many hours. It certainly was awful for me.

After a month of having Ripley, I felt like a failure because her behavior was worsening, and my work schedule didn't help. So, I called my mom the following evening and told her my situation.

"Mom, I don't think I can take care of Ripley. It's just so difficult. I'm cleaning all the time. I'm tired of it. And, I have days when I'm not home all day. It's not good for her....Umm, can you just take her?" I begged. Even though I already loved Ripley, I was willing to give her up for my sanity.

My mother was quiet for a bit. Then, she finally said in her thick Filipino accent, "No, anak." Anak in the Filipino language of Tagalog meant child. My mother continued, "You need to keep her. It's good for you. She gives you company since you're alone. It'll get better, anak. She'll learn." (I love my mother but when she speaks English it's so much harder to understand her because of her accent. I prefer her speaking Tagalog to me.)

Of course, I was a little stunned by the answer my mother gave me. I thought for sure she would take Ripley and make my life easier. Normally, she would gladly take in any animal but not that time. I felt so frustrated and stuck. Now what, I thought.

Consequently, I walked Ripley more, went to the park often, took her to an obedience group class when she was old enough, and patiently dealt with whatever happened. After my conversation with my mom, I came to the conclusion that life isn't without difficulties and that there was a lesson I had to learn with Ripley. Also, I realized that the minute I took Ripley away from her abusive life, I was responsible for her. It was my obligation to do everything to help her become a balanced dog even if it caused me temporary insanity and fatigue.

Now, it's inconceivable to think about being without Ripley, which is why I say to her frequently, "You're only three years old. You're just a baby dog," when in fact she's fourteen. When I tell her that, she gives me a look that says, "Okay, if you say so." I figure, if I tell her enough, she WILL believe it, and will live another ten years. This is my hope. Besides, dogs will believe anything their owners say, since they are so trusting that way. It would tear my heart to lose Ripley. She was there with me through all my hardships and heartaches. I know Ripley made me be a better person. Also, I let her know that it was because of her that I love dogs so much. She opened my eyes and I thank her for it often.

Needless to say, nothing would make me give her up now. Even if there were a flood in the San Fernando Valley and I had to evacuate my house without her or any of my dogs as so many people did in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, I wouldn't leave. I would stay with my dogs because I could never abandon them to fend for themselves. I know my husband feels the same way since we discussed the issue during the aftermath of Katrina and we had heard of all those dogs left behind by their owners. The guilt would kill us if we did that.

To say the least, my mother did me a gigantic favor. It was good for me to keep Ripley even though it was tough dealing with her in the beginning, but that was partly due to my own ignorance. She was truly a gift from god, the universe, or whatever you believe in because she came into my life when I needed her. I would do it all over again despite the distress I experienced. As I write this, I am reminded of a pearl. For an oyster to produce a pearl from sand, it takes a lot of irritation, patience and many years. But in the end, you have a beautiful pearl, and that is what Ripley represents to me. I'm just glad it didn't take years to have her trained and disciplined. By the way, I never got my security deposit from that apartment in Reseda, which didn't surprise me at all. The carpet was filthy even after cleaning it a few times, but at that point, I didn't care. I had Ripley.

I sympathize with those of you who have a puppy and are a new dog owner. Initially, it can be a struggle and extremely stressful. But think of your puppy as a pearl in the making and you're the oyster doing what needs to be done and persevering in spite of the irritation. The payoff is priceless. This was the lesson my mother wanted me to learn and Ripley helped me get to that place.

I have a puppy patient I am treating at the vet hospital who is a six month old Great Dane name Vendetta (don't you think with a name like that, you would expect trouble?). Vendetta is truly adorable but she's a wild child. Seeing Vendetta recently for treatment made me think of how Ripley used to be as a pup. But definitely, Vendetta has so much more energy that I can only imagine the havoc she creates at home. During her treatment, she was like a fish out of water because she could not sit still. Fortunately, Vendetta's human mom is experienced with pups unlike myself with Ripley, and has another dog name Lava who, I'm sure, helps diffuse some of that excess energy. The owner is great about walking Vendetta to release her craziness. She takes Vendetta on long hikes at nights at Vasquez Rock in Santa Clarita. Personally, I think she's nuts for hiking in the dark by herself and I've told her that. But she's been doing it for years and knows every inch of that area.

In the meantime, if you do have a new pup, you may want to consider meditation, exercise or acupuncture to help reduce your stress level. You don't need to create unnecessary inflammation in your body that stress produces, because, most likely, you are also tired from cleaning. With regards to acupuncture, it's wonderful for stress, even though many people associate it with pain relief only. Getting acupuncture is a passive way to have your body release endorphins that give us that natural high and overall "feel good" sensation.

Love your dog. If you don't have one, adopt or save one. Then, just know that sometimes what's good for you isn't necessarily what you want or the easiest to do. But remember, there may be a "pearl" just waiting at the end of it. Unfortunately, a "pearl" is never obvious to us in the beginning and middle. It may be to other people around us as it was to my mother. However, we only see it in retrospect. So, follow your instinct as I did with Ripley especially when choosing a dog. If I didn't listen to my intuition when I initially saw Ripley, I would have missed out on one of the best things in my life.

Thank you for visiting my weekly blog. Any comments are welcomed.