Clyde Picks a Family

We didn’t want a pet, especially a dog. It’s too much work, too much time, too expensive. Not to sound callous, but the kids will be out of the house in a few years and we didn’t want to be tied down with “their” dog. But, the kids persisted. Months went by of begging, prodding, and toying with our emotions, until we finally decided to give it go. The one condition we had was that we were not going to get a puppy. Instead, we wanted to give back, in a way, to help a pet in need of a good home.

It just so happened that many friends and acquaintances were associated with Bob’s House for Dogs, so we knew there were options for adoption. After looking though the bios of the dogs at Bob’s House on Facebook, we thought we knew what we wanted; a little lap dog. That’s not what we got. When we went to Bob’s House to choose our little lap dog, of which there were many, this black Lab, ball-in-mouth, kept following us. He was a distinguished looking gentleman with a salt and pepper beard and playful eyes, but he wasn’t even close to what we were looking for. Ultimately, we didn’t choose him. He chose us.

Please throw it just one more time? Please?!

Since coming to our home, Clyde has been an absolute joy. He is a loving, lazy, enthusiastic, hungry, protective, and ever-present addition to the family. He enjoys long walks, playing fetch, and practicing his yoga (downward facing dog is his favorite pose). The adorable Elvis lip prior to sneezing is particularly entertaining. He’s a three year old in an eleven year old’s body. Though he’s not a puppy, there are other challenges in caring for Clyde. His arthritis is clearly painful and keeps him from doing things we know he wants to do. He’d play fetch for hours if he could, but he can’t. We give him special food, supplements, and medications to help him get through each day with as little discomfort as possible. Sure, it’s work and time and expensive, but what we’ve come to understand and appreciate is that he deserves to age with dignity. Our focus has changed from getting what we want out of a pet to giving him what he wants. And all he wants is love, attention, time to rest, time to play, and food…lots of food. Thank you, Bob’s House, for giving us the opportunity to ease Clyde through the twilight of his life. We are so grateful for our (not “their”) dog.