I Live in Dog City

I REALLY WANT A DOG! Living in my apartment building is a little like torture, because one thing that I really miss about life in San Antonio is the dogs. No joke, it seems like EVERY person in my apartment building has a dog. At least one, or some other type of adorable animal! And it doesn't really help that my nice neighbors (not the unfriendly ones) got an adorable new kitty, which I can hear mewing when I unlock my door in the afternoons. I always see these adorable puppies trotting along on the way to their walks, and it makes me so wistful. Yesterday I saw one of my building mates being pulled along by her pug, which prompted me to say "I've always wanted one of those!" She said "Oh you should get one! They're great and I tell everyone to get one." GAH!

Now, I've been resisting this urge for many practical reasons. I live in a shoebox, and that is unfair to most kinds of dogs--especially the ones that I really want (Mastiff, Bloodhound, Rottweiler e.g.). I work 9-5, and the call of nature waits for no white collar worker. I have a white couch--no explanation needed. I don't have much space, even for me. A cat would be much more practical, and I would love it just as much as any dog. SO WHY CAN'T I STOP THINKING ABOUT GETTING A DOG?

I did a little research today, and discovered that there are some breeds of dogs that can handle apartment life--even small apartment life. (n.b. my apartment building is exclusively studios and one-bedrooms, and I do have one of the larger studio options) The first one which caught my eye is the forlorn Basset Hound. Like a shorter, squatter Bloodhound, this dog is simply adorable. They are also magnificent scent hounds & trackers, and I do like my dogs to be functional. If I ever get kidnapped, I can count on my loyal friend to lead the way towards my rescue! They don't require much space to live in, because they are very inactive most of the time. All they require is a good walk twice daily. I can do that! I also really like the idea of having a hound, so that I can "release the hound." I crack myself up.

Another contender is the fresh-faced Beagle. A Snoopy dog! These are also scent hounds, and are apparently incredibly intelligent. This is the breed of dog that dialed 911 in 2006, which was a headlining news story for, like, three weeks straight. Dude, I need that dog! It's better than that "I've-Fallen-and-I-Can't-Get-Up" button! The only issue is that these dogs are more active. They can handle being in an apartment, but it needs to be a larger one, so that they can frolic and play, and presumably train for rescue missions. Shoot.

And now we come to the clownish Pug. Now, I used to think these dogs were ugly. They're too wrinkly, with bug eyes and underbites. But how wrong was I?! These dogs are probably the sweetest and happiest-looking animals EVER. I've never met a Pug that didn't look like it was loving life. I'd rather have a happy puppy than one who seems to be suffering from extreme melancholia. I'm the melancholic one in the family! Me! And I hear that Pugs are extremely good apartment dogs.

There are countless other examples of dogs I could get. The Miniature Pinscher is a practical small apartment dog, and it doesn't seem as high-strung and kickable as other toy breeds. So, I guess it'd doable. I keep talking about all these very distinct breeds, but I'll probably go to the Anti-Cruelty Society or the like to pick up a pet; not only will that save me hundreds of dollars, but it's much better to get an animal that really needs a home. It'll be a bonus if I could find me a hound or hound-mix there, though.

Having said all that, I'll probably end up getting a cat. And I'll love it. I'm just a dog person, and will look forward to having a lifestyle that could better compliment it. I just need something soon, because my TV is not a good roommate. An animal is a much better distraction.

Other things:
-My quarter-life crisis is starting to clear up, and I'm ending up back where I began.
-I really, really hate wind.
-Tacos are one of the greatest culinary inventions in the world. Especially from La Cocina.
-Oh yeah, Happy April Fools! (But the dog thing wasn't a joke. Not that it would've been a great practical joke. Never mind. Forget that I said anything.)