When I was a wee lass, I begged my father to buy me a Cocker Spaniel puppy. Even at the age of eight, I was captivated by the breed...their floppy ears, beautiful coats, and warm temperaments. I remember laying on the living room floor, throwing a temper tantrum because my father said he'd think about it, which every child knows is codename for no. I petitioned my father's refusal by drawing elaborate, guilt inspiring pictures of my future dog. At the bottom of each picture, I would print my dog's name in big lettering: Midnight, because of her beautiful black coat.
On a sidenote, have you ever heard of the Black Dog Syndrome? Doggies face discrimination too: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23472518/
Looking back, I'll admit (reluctantly) that I am grateful that my dad didn't acquiesce to my demands of a puppy. I was much too young to care for a dog and I would not have been diligent enough to train and look after her proper upbringing. The responsibility would have undoubtedly become my father's, who I suspect foresaw that even amidst all my promises of walking her and feeding her regularly. So thanks dad, sort of, I'm still kinda mad that I didn't get the dog though. :)
At the grand age of 22, I decided I was ready to take on the demands that go with dog ownership. I named my dog Pavie, who is a full-bred Cocker Spaniel, after Pavlov's dog, to remind me that I can truly condition my dog to do anything if I pair the action with the proper stimuli. Oh goodness, that sounds so ridiculously sterile and unfeeling. To be honest, I named her after Pavlov's dog because it seemed only natural to name her after the most famous animal in Psychology's history. I was debating to give her the actual name of Pavlov's dog, but it was much too Russian for my taste. ;)
We have our good days, and we definitely have our interesting ones. I will admit I've been very close to screaming profanities after a few incidents involving fecal matter. But one look in those quintessential puppy eyes and all is forgiven.
Next week, she'll be receiving her third set of shots, which means she is turning three months! I've always mocked those crazy dog lovers who throw over the top birthday parties for their spoiled pooches, but I can't deny that I've considered a little shindig in honor of Pav. Bacon flavored cupcakes for all!?!? Even dog clothing has been promoted from its previous status of absolutely hideous to only slightly ridiculous. I swear this dog will soon have me doing tricks for her. On the subject of tricks, Pavie has mastered both "sit" and "down", though she seems to struggle with "make me dinner" and "give me a back massage". Maybe I need to up the ante a bit before I start seeing the likes of those two.
The first two pictures feature Pavie at 7 weeks. The rest are closer to 3 months. Notice how she's grown like a weed, probably due to her voracious consumption of Chinese food...which I am not opposed to.
4 comments:
i normally make a joke, but this was just an awesome post. i loved the jokes; they really hit the spot. it was honest and sincere effort. and most importantly, it was about a puppy! keep it coming!
I was wondering if that was where her name came from! Very original, and I can say that because I worked for a vet for three years and never met a Pavie or Pavlov! Good luck and have fun!
Midnight? It's a good name for a dog, I will add it to my lists:
Dog names lists
She is sooo cute! I wish we could have met her in person (and see you :) when we were down. Atleast we'll see both of you next month. And then for the next 6 months my kids will beg for a dog like yours and probably draw pictures to make me feel guilty and then finally get their own dog when they are 22 to make up for their deprived childhood..
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