I'm a dog person?

[realexplodingcat]

My brother and I accumulated quite a menagerie of pets over the years. We had it all. Cats, birds, snakes, turtles, lizards, hamsters, insects, mudskippers, piranha, and countless other fish. But we never had a dog. Both of us had asthma inducing allergies. Cats used to do that too, but somehow the right cat at the right time showed up and didn't trouble us. That cat is now 20 years old and still with my parents. Consequently, I grew up into a cat person.

I never understood dog people. Due to my allergy, I had limited exposure to dogs. All I saw was the fuzzy ball of bodily functions that barked viciously every time I passed one. I grew up with a slight fear of dogs, quite convinced that their behavior was consistently aggressive and not really understanding that it's in the nature of most dogs to bark at the arrival of people and, if permitted, to chase them down for an eager greeting of smells and/or licks. I always assumed it would be bites, but I rarely stuck around long enough to find out.

No matter how much I tried to avoid dogs, all the good people had them. Friends and family I couldn't (and often did not want to) avoid introduced me to many dogs, from toy poodles to labradors to shitzus to scotties to giant german shepards and the list goes on. My allergy problems were mixed. I noticed certain dogs didn't bother me as much (the toy poodle and the german shepard) while others yielded consistently terrible problems (black labradors and golden retrievers) and the rest I never spent enough time with to figure out. So, maybe I'm not allergic to all of them? But I figured it would be safer not to bother experimenting.

However, the wife has been working on me. Weaving her will into the fabric of my being. She needs a dog. The walls started crumbling when I met Jazz, redzshadow's delightful chihuahua. The walls collapsed completely when krasota and I brought home a black standard poodle named Jericho. He's still a fuzzy ball of bodily functions, but I've finally realized how dogs can be so much more. It hit me like a ton of bricks. A dogs unbounded potential for joy and carefree optimism serves as a daily reminder to us all to focus on what is truly important in life--living each moment to the fullest. The message is compounded by the fact that the average dog doesn't live very long, compared to a human. That brevity encourages us to squeeze out as much of that joy as possible in our time together.

So far, so good. Jericho is already the best dog I've ever known. I think he may spoil me for any future canine companions. However, the verdict is still out on my allergies. I've spent a lot of time around him. Much of the time was compromised by the presence of Scotties, to which I am allergic. So, now that I'm back in my dog free house (with a new dog), I need to wait and see how things go. I'm hoping for minimal problems. How can I be a dog person otherwise?

(To any cats reading this, I'm still a cat person, too. You are vicious little creatures and that is exactly why I like you.)

Comments

[jdavyd.livejournal.com]

Great post. i never thought myself to be for cat's or dogs... then i lived in a house with 10 cats and 1 dog. now i have neither, and i miss the dog the most.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Man, that's a lot of cats. And a lot of cat shit.

I think the dogs try harder to form a relationship with people, so you definitely notice it when they're gone.

[jdavyd.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. Cats pretty much only worry about you when they don't have food or water, or if you start using a litter they aren't used to. Female cats especially, males are a bit more attention hungry.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I grew up with cats and dogs, mostly dogs, and I've lived with both cats and dogs. But I'm a dog person. I don't mind cats, I just don't bond with them in the same way.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you've discovered how much fun the fuzz balls can be. So very different from cats, but fun in their own dorky let's-play way :-)

I hope you prove to be non-allergic to him :-)

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I still really like cats, but for different reasons. Cat's aren't nearly as dorky :)

[karenthecroccy.livejournal.com]

I like both, but cats are more ... malicious. That makes living with a cat a little more exciting.

The only things I actively worry about with the dogs is "Are they going to lick my mouth?" and "Why do they have to always step on my feet when I first get home?"

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

We won't let Zoe near your face. She will lick your mouth. ;)

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

That little chihuahua I mentioned is a mouth licker. So far, Jericho hasn't done that. In fact, he hasn't done much licking at all unless I've got food on my hands.

[onceupon.livejournal.com]

Dogs are unbounded enthusiasm embodied.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

That's why I really wanted to try to have one around. I've been a brooding cat person for too long. I wanted to experience some of that constant joie de vivre that dogs constantly exude.

[onceupon.livejournal.com]

I love my cats, and I can't really imagine not having one around. But I'd absolutely have a dog as well, if I had the space for it. Dogs are the anti-depression.

[twilight-spirit.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new pet! I had a dog when I was a kid. I think it was a good experience. I'd like to try a cat next (if I can find one I'm not allergic to), but probably not until I have a larger place, like maybe a house.

Is Jericho going to have an lj? :)

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Good luck finding a cat. That might be tough if you do have bad allergies, because I don't think cats have the kind of variety that dogs do. Cat saliva is cat saliva (which is apparently where the allergens are, not actually with the skin or hair specifically). Cats are a difficult allergy. Jocelyn has that one bad.

Dog allergies are apparently from the skin. I think dog dander may actually be dog dandruff. Poodles have oily skin and don't shed their hair, so they don't leave a lot of dander around. Labradors, on the other hand...really dry skin. I often had a lot of trouble with Curt's dog.

Heh. I don't know if Jericho will get an LJ. Although, Jocelyn already created a Dogster account for him. We'll see how crazy she gets with the new dog frenzy :)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I'm moderately allergic to cats, not at all allergic to dogs. (I'm quite allergic to cute widdle bunny rabbits.)

[jb98.livejournal.com]

(To any cats reading this, I'm still a cat person, too. You are vicious little creatures and that is exactly why I like you.)

Hahaha yes, exactly. I try explaining that's a plus to people who use it in their argument against cats. They just don't understand.

Congrats on the pup! Yes, I know he's 7 years old, they're all pups to me.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

He still plays like a pup. He's got lots of energy.

Yes, I think the delightful irony of having all that blood thirsty ferocity packed inside an adorable little house cat is lost on most anti-cat people.

[ismene.livejournal.com]

They just don't have the wits to live life on the edge, wondering what's going to be next, wondering if you'll be allowed to wake up tomorrow...

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

So true.

[98.livejournal.com]

I most sincerely wish you joy of your pup.

As for the allergies, I have heard that those breeds whose fur resembles hair (including poodles and Bouviers) are much less allergenic than the rest. On the other hand a highly allergic friend and his allergist say this is bullshit. On the gripping hand another friend highly allergic to cats believes the soothing effects of stroking his cat on his lap outweigh the inconvenience of allergy shots.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to believe that some breeds are less allergenic than others. In my own experience, I definitely have different reactions to different breeds. However, it is possible that my sensitivity to dogs has waxed and waned over the years and enough coincidental encounters with so-called non-allergenic breeds during allergy down times has led to my conclusion. Hard to say. However, I think I may pursue allergy shots, just in case. I have not been entirely symptom-free with the new poodle, but thankfully thus far it has been very mild.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

With the "labradoodles" (I squirm at that name) the guide dog people breed, because they make great guide dogs, some end up hypoallergenic like poodles and some end up more allergenic like labs. I'm pretty sure they're tested somehow, as that's what tikva specifically got, so that her allergic partner could stay at her house.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

I always figured that my experience with labradoodles would be like playing russian roulette. Surely some of them must end up with the lab's potential for allergens.

[wanderyng1.livejournal.com]

Apparently poodles are one of the best dogs to have if you've got dog allergies, since they have hair instead of fur and don't really shed as much (supposedly). My parent's beagle drives my allergies up the wall, their dander is one of the highest on the hit-list of allergy-causing dander.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this poodle doesn't shed. I'm testing that allergy theory. So far, it's not perfect. But I'm making out much better after such a prolonged exposure than I do with other breeds.

[mustelidmania.livejournal.com]

congrats!!!! the ferrets would love to meet him!!! heh heh. and so would I

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

I bet the ferrets would really intrigue Jericho. I know he's very interested in cats. I think he likes all creatures great and small.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Yay!! just that :).

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[redzshadow.livejournal.com]

I am glad that Jazz was a positive influence on your new journey as a dog person. I hope everything goes well with Jericho.

I never really saw myself as a dog person either. Cats are more my style but for some reason Jazz seems to fit too. Maybe she just has enough cat qualities to make her more than just a dog. ? It could be the animal rather than the species.

[explodingcat.livejournal.com]

Jazz is awesome. Maybe because she's small like a cat.

Jericho has some moments that remind me of Jazz, only he's a lot bigger. He gets excited and will run like a maniac around the yard. I remember Jazz doing that here before.

Everything is well with Jericho. Too well. It's me that's the problem. Apparently my allergies are coming on a little stronger than I'd hoped. We'll see what I can do abou that...