Things That Become Less Important When You Have A Dog
All you need to live a great life is a backbone, a funny bone, and a dog bone.
Since adopting my dog in 2020, several things that I used to consider important have fallen by the wayside. I can’t tell if I stopped caring because of mid-life, the pandemic, or the dog. In my case, those three things busted my door down all at the same time.
Are you familiar with this quote?
I think it’s more like we’re full of indifference and sick of trying to impress other people. Either way, I’m content with what I’ve let go of because….DOGS.
When I say I’ve let go I mean I bought a rocket launcher and mounted it on the edge of a cliff. I now shoot things I don’t care about into the stratosphere.
These days, my basic life necessities are running water, a dog park, and the internet.
For those who adopted a pandemic puppy…
I’m willing to bet that life was never the same for you after the world reopened, was it?
Many of us settled into a life of sweatpants and zero makeup. We also settled a little too comfortably into dog life because let’s face it…dog parks were the only thing open back then.
I invested heavily in Walmart sweatpants that spring and summer. Then I upgraded to fur-lined leggings for winter. I’m not trying to look cute for anyone. Not even single dog dads because if I ever meet one, I’m convinced he’ll understand.
As a dog mom, I’ve also let go of any form of hairstyle that signifies, “She’s on trend!” It’s far easier to roll out of bed and toss my hair into a bun for walkies than to pretend I’m concerned with my appearance.
Plus, it’s winter for eight months of the year here in Canada. NO hairstyle can withstand the Canadian toque.
People can be too “Peopley”
Humans have also become a lot less important unless, of course, they have dogs. But not just any dogs. For me, they have to be the sort of human-and-dog team that likes to get outdoors and go somewhere more stimulating than a backyard with wine glasses.
Idle chit-chat has never really turned my crank unless I’m getting paid to do it.
Cleaning the house
A home can be tidy without being spic ‘n’ span clean. Dog parents, I know you can cosign on that.
Lord knows the dog hair will still be there whether we vacuum today, tomorrow, or next week. That’s just the nature of dog-moming. I no longer let my fetish for fresh vacuum tracks pressure me into pulling out the old Bissell as much as I used to.
Air Travel
You’ve probably never read my About page but if you did, you would know that pre-pandemic, I was a footloose and fancy-free travel writer for many years.
After my last dog, Mojo, I refrained from adopting for six whole years because of travel. But then, 2020 was pretty much the wake-up call I needed to go find a new ride-or-die.
Soon after adopting Dezi, I thought, “They can take the girl out of travel but they can’t take travel out of the girl.” I just traded in flight plans for GPS, called my dog a copilot, and we were ready to roll.
With dogs, travel is never completely removed from the equation. You can always opt for four wheels instead of two wings and completely sidestep checked baggage fees!
And just in case you think road-tripping might pale in comparison to jet-setting, take a look at one of many dog-friendly and driveable spots we’ve found. Pretty incredible if you ask me!
Your turn!
What’s on YOUR list of “Things that are less important when you have a dog”? Please share in the comments below!
We love roadtripping with our dog and Casey is a keen traveler. The problem is finding dog-friendly hotels without exorbitant pet fees, which have gone up sharply since Covid. We are happy to pay for any damage he causes (none, in years of traveling) but not to fork over $75 for the privilege of bringing Casey to a hotel that pays lip service to loving our furry friend.
My focus on chores became more tempered as my dog walks grew longer! I take that back. I put more chores on the kids’ chore board, so I could take longer walks!