A Pet Owner's Journey (Pt. 15)

There is no one happier in the world to see you come home than your dog. You could have been gone an hour or a month and they will always greet you with their tails wagging. They are always excited to see you, to know that you are still part of their lives.

I've never left my dog for very long. I think, before this holiday, the longest I'd gone without her was a week. Now, after almost three weeks I finally got to go pick her up. And she was happy to see me for sure.

She spent a good five minutes jumping between my partner and I, getting as many pets and rubs as she could. Her tail wagged, her body vibrated, and her face was in a silly, doggy grin.

It's good to have her back. No matter how nice going away is, there is something wonderful about coming home. And coming home is made even better by the presence of a pet.

But of course, after being gone so long, it is a bit of a readjustment. There are routines to fall back into. There is a structure that needs to be found. Going from almost a month without a dog back to having her every day will take some getting used to.

That's the lovely thing about pets though. They keep you on your toes. They keep your days a little more structured. They provide you with a bit of purpose and a reason to get some exercise. They are great company, great cuddle buddies, and will always love you unconditionally provided that you treat them right.

So I was ecstatic to have Roxy back. It meant driving three hours to where she'd been staying the last three weeks in order to retrieve her and then making the trip back home, but it was completely worth it. And she is a great car dog.

She was more than happy to endure the car ride if it meant staying with us. She was more than happy to sleep in the back seat and wait for us to get home. And when we got home, she was super excited to run around in the backyard again.

Now that she is back, she's been a little attached to us. She doesn't want us to leave her again, even if it is just to go to the grocery store. I'm sure, in time, she will calm back down. After all, this was the longest stretch of separation that we've ever had. And she's never taken separation very well.

I don't know what I'll do with her if we have to go away again. She can't be kenneled due to her dislike for other animals. I've never crated her before and, as far as I know, she's never been crate trained. I would hate to leave her with my friends again, simply because I wouldn't want to burden them with taking care of her. And I don't know if she could handle any lengthy travel, such as flying, without heavy sedation.

So, really that leaves two options really. Have someone house/dog sit and look after her, or take her with us. And for anywhere we have to drive to, it isn't an issue to bring her with us. She loves car rides. But if we get on a plane again to go somewhere it will be a big decision as to what to do with her during the time we are gone.

Roxy is a great dog, but she has her quirks and her history. I'd like to be optimistic and hope that one day we could take her on a plane. But only time will tell if that is possible. And, in truth, I don't think we're going anywhere anytime soon.

Well, I hope everyone else had a lovely holiday and thanks, as always, for reading another Roxy adventure. Come find us next time for another edition of "A Pet Owner's Journey."