Lesson #52: Man's Best Friend is High Maintenance

It has long been a dream of ours to own a dog.  Considering both of us are vehemently opposed to cats (no offense, cat folk), it only made sense that we would get a dog as soon as we could.  That "soon as we could" finally came around after almost two years of marriage.  Living in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs kind of puts a damper on dog plans.  Plus, I figured I would start out with plants.  We kept (most of) those alive, so it was time to upgrade to a pet.  After a while, if she's still alive and well, we'll be able to upgrade again to kids.  It's a process.

So in March we met her...

in April we got her...

and in August we still love her.

Nala is almost six months old and has been hilarious to watch.  Shiba inus are notoriously distant and anti-social, yet she is the exact opposite of that.  Nala thinks every person she sees is a new best friend.  Every knock on a door in our hallway must be meant for her.  She loves people so much that she whines out of excitement when she meets someone.  Good thing we weren't banking on a guard dog.

Through the cost of shots, food, vet visits, treats, toys (that keep mysteriously showing up when I come home from work and Lyndon has a day off), and surprise health issues, we've realized how expensive dogs can be.  We did our research beforehand and calculated the costs, but it was still a nice surprise as to how big that cost would be.  So far, it's been worth it.  The only time I get worried is when Lyndon is convinced she needs a friend to play with.

Prepare for more posts about Nala because she's who I spend most of my time with.  Until that happens, here's a picture of her eating a clementine for the first time.