Hercules

My friend and I have always talked about getting a dog together although he lives many miles away. My parents both grew up with almost 10 dogs each and it saddens them to know that we cannot have the same childhood experience as they had. My sister is quite allergic to dogs, cats, rabbits; any animal with fur, you name it, she's allergic to. But one catch is that my parents know the strenuous effort they put into in order to raise their dogs.

They know that a person's milieu affects a dog (whether you can walk, play, and spend time with it), along with the amount of attention it gets. In the beginning stages of raising a dog, my parents tell me stories about how the dogs would obliterate the house and they had to train the animals as soon as they could. The constant running around and caring enervated their lives for many years-- but still, they are thankful for having the opportunity to raise pets.

One thing that my parents hated when raising dogs is the feeling of letting them go when they pass. Everybody knows that every person and animal is prone to prognosis and it is completely unavoidable, but to go through days, weeks, and even months of sadness was heartbreaking for them. They would perform corteges for each and every dog they had to let go; tears and sadness exuded from their hearts.

So I guess maybe it's not a good idea to get a dog, although I do love them more than I should. I just want to develop that intimate relationship with a pet; so maybe I will get a dog with my friend. We're already planning to get a dachshund.