Man to Best Friend: Happy Birthday
Nick CarrawayI did not get you a birthday present. It's not because I don't care. It's only because you are a dog. Nevertheless, I'd still like to celebrate you, like I always do, in a way that you will probably never be aware of. By telling others about your daily triumphs, I hope to do some justice to your two short years of life.
Most "fourteen" year-olds would be dismayed if their "parents" did not have a party or some acknowledgement of their progression into the next stage of life. But when my family asked me if you were sad that we didn't have your birthday party, I said "No, he didn't even miss it. Because he's a dog." And my response was more appreciative than sarcastic. I really do enjoy having a creature in my family who's impressed more by the little things in life than by extravagant displays of emotion.
Case in point, the day after your birthday I came home from work to spend my night in your good company. And like any day, you were anxiously waiting my arrival. With little fan fare, I said hello and let you out to the backyard to take care of your business. And just like you, I'm on a schedule as well. I imagined you'd be fine while I spent a few minutes of alone time in the bathroom. But you had other plans.
Maybe you did realize you missed out on a special birthday celebration and decided you'd award yourself that extra treat. Because while I read through a magazine, I heard a loud crash down the hall. In no rush, I thought "what's the worst he could be getting into?" What does a dog really desire the most? You know the stray cats and wild squirrels outside move fast and are off limits. You know that on most days you'll get a trip to the park in which to expend your puppy like energy. But you also know of a delicacy which has been expressly forbidden to you. Sure, you've hastily enjoyed it on rare occasion in greedy, secret bites. Each time it has been different, but it has never disappointed. And though each time you've been scolded and skulk guiltily away, you cannot resist the temptation of people food in all its forms.
As I left my sanctuary and went to investigate, I thought for sure you must be knocking things over because you are rambunctious. I silently accepted the hour of housework or relaxation that I would lose to take you out for exercise on this rainy Monday. Since you've come in to my home, I've resigned myself to this sacrifice because I know it gives you much joy and brings peace to my evenings. But today's destruction was not fueled by any normal excess of doggy energy. No, curiosity and hunger for the unknown were the sole factors in your decision to take down the forbidden foodstuffs.
Like Ron Burgundy, I wasn't even mad. I was impressed. Not only did you manage to open a can of Campbell's tomato soup, you ate it all. You even chose the heart healthy low-sodium variety. And as you tried to lick away the incriminating stains on the rug, I almost heard you say that it was "Mmm, mmm good." Well, happy birthday, best friend. There are no lectures or angry throat noises from me today. To the victor, go the spoils. You can have your soup and eat it too. And as I watched you march downstairs to wash this salty appetizer down, I was even more impressed with how you followed it up with a full bowl of dog food.
Later, in the evening as I did my laundry and relaxed on the couch, I realized you weren't around begging for your evening walk. Don't think this welcome reprieve from my pet owner responsibilities went unnoticed. Perhaps you offered this nice gesture in thanks for the delicious, room temperature tomato soup. Perhaps, we really are best friends and this is just two buddies looking out for each other. In any event, I think we both learned a valuable lesson tonight. Myself, I learned that dogs deserve birthdays too. And although you can't communicate it perfectly, I can tell what you learned by your pained smile and the way you are lying supinely nursing your bloated belly. The dry bits of cornmeal, chicken and other dried animal bi-products floating in an acidic, tomato flavored broth in your stomach must've finally taught you that sometimes people food really is just for people.
Reader Comments (8)
My dog Harry recently ate a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Luckily it was not a toxic event, although his general GI distress afterward did impress guests we had for dinner that night. I cannot even get mad. He is what he is, an animal programmed to eat food whenever it seems available. Until I had a dog, I would never have been able to appreciate the wonderful sentiments you expressed here. Happy Birthday to him.
Great voice and story -- the relationships in our lives are increasingly valuable no matter what form they come in. That you remember the day you got your dog is impressive and shows the depth of the relationship.
My daughter, like myself, is terrified of dogs. I have always been, but as a grown man I have learned to control it to the point I'm not running out of the house crying. No dog has ever bit us, but I am sure some wanted to. In fact, no dog has ever harmed us. It is something innate that keeps us away and removes an important vision of cultural relationships that we can not partake in.
She has the fear. She will learn to control it but it will never go away. I like when people write about their pets and animals with dignity. So many stories enter into the barbarous nature. The best part of your story is that I can relate even though I do not like dogs. I think that is the job of a good writer.
Thanks
I think your post is a beautiful tribute to man's best friend, although I must remind you, women too, find them to be loyal, lovable partners in crime!
I adore my puppy more than I could ever imagine, having only recently reaped the benefits of dog ownership. I am often accused of "spoiling" him, but I like to think I am just rewarding him for giving me such unconditional joy in my life. I did celebrate his 1st year of birth, complete with party hats and a fuzzy dog cake with candles, that he still loves to chew on until his heart's content!
If I'm too much of a softie because he's just such a cutie pie, well then, so be it!
I'm too fond of the little guy to worry about all that!
Happy birthday to your best friend Mr. Carraway and here's to many more!
This is a really nice tribute. Happy Birthday to your dog!
As a fellow dog owner and lover, I can relate to the intriguing, endearing, yet hilariously unusual bond that exists between an owner and his or her dog. I love my dog, more than most people. He is constantly in a good mood, cries when I leave the house, and greets me with more affection than any human ever has.
However, I also have multiple experiences of his insanely frustrating unpredictable behavior. Whether it is running up and down the stairs simulating a stampede or earthquake, eating something that will most assuredly make him puke, or slobbering his tongue all over his privates producing one of the most heinous sounds and images, my loyal companion can certainly create an irritation in me incomparable to most humans.
However, at the end of the day, he is one of the two best additions to my life in the past 10 years. But like all things, I do lose sense of how amazing he is and advantageous to me he is as well. So, on that note, I want to thank you for reminding me to appreciate my dog and all his Idiosyncrasies and unconditional affection for me. He'll definitely be receiving a wonderfully delicious doggy treat worthy of his loyalty.
Although I appreciate your heartfelt story, I think I actually began to feel my blood boil while reading your account. I am a dog owner, but I do not share your warm and tolerant view of our k-9 friends.
On Wednesday of this same week, I sat down after a long day of work. My son and I began to eat our Wawa sandwiches at the livingroom table while my husband enjoyed a hot shower. My son asked for a drink, and although I was only partially finished my sandwich I complied with his request and set the turkey gobbler on a paper plate. As I rounded the corner from the kitchen I found my (already fed) dog licking his chops and my plate on the newly cleaned hardwood floors. He was punished for the remainder of the evening by being sent to the basement. My dog does not begin eating his dog food from his own bowl without my permission. I have trained him about “people food” so that he would never accidentally bite my child while stealing a treat from his hands. As someone pointed out today, it may have been because he had not yet been exercised; but, I cannot accept this excuse.
I care about him, and my cat, but I cannot condone behavior like that. Furthermore, I’d like to go one step further and express to the LunchBreak Bloggers that I also feel that spending any excessive amount of money on a surgery for you domestic animal is ridiculous. I cannot fathom how some people are able to take out loans to pay for an operation for a pet that costs more than a used car. It is not a new phenomenon that these creatures have a shorter life span than we do, they come and they go as many things in our lives. Spend a fraction of the cost putting the animal to rest and buying another to replace it if necessary. I am grateful only for the fact that my son gets pleasure from the dog’s company. From the shedding to the hamburgler, I could leave him in a second.
Wow. Thanks for all the responses. To the last one by Ms. Apple, I would like to clarify a few points. In this instance, the "people food" was not in the kitchen, so I felt less inclined to be angry at the dog. He found the treasure in an unexpected place, and it is probably a human error that it was left there. Nevertheless, don't think I am some huge softie when it comes to my dog. I do discipline and get super annoyed if he begs from the table at dinner time. One might say that I am very food aggressive. However, a dog is a dog. They have pretty short memories, especially mine. So unless I really catch him in the act of committing a crime, I am apt to let it go. With his attention span, I think he'd forget why he was being punished two minutes into it.
Finally, I definitely agree with your stance on outrageous pet medical bills. After my last few vet trips, I avoid the place whenever possible. Like I said a dog is a dog. It is a wild animal at its core and is equipped to heal itself most of the time. If the situation is so serious than it comes down to expensive surgery or death, I think it's best to let nature runs her course. I just think about all the other dogs at the SPCA who need a home and I think our money is better spent there rehabilitating young dogs, rather than prolonging the life and pain of old ones.
I am one of those people who is willing to spend the money to reduce my dog's suffering, and I see no problem with this. If a young dog, who is perfectly healthy otherwise, develops a tumor, breaks a bone, acquires an infection, etc., is in pain but has a strong chance of surviving the surgery, then why not return the care and consideration that the dog has provided you so unconditionally for so long? The notion of just letting nature take its course could easily be applied to humans as well, who create a far greater burden to society through costly surgeries and prolonged lives with all the advancements in medicine. Now, I am not saying dogs, or any animals are the same as humans, but for many people, dogs serve an incredible companion, unmatchable to human relationships. Also, there are dogs that fulfill very valuable practical functions: K9s, seeing eye dogs, etc. My dog functions not just as a companion but as a legitimate security force for my house. He would most assuredly defend me and other loved ones without a moment's hesitation, but I hope I will never have to find out. I think it is just as humane to care for humans as it is to care for animals. And at the end of the day, if a person can afford it, and it's going to make the dog's life better, and the owner's life happier, who cares if they opt for surgery?