I totally forgot to celebrate Teddy's first birthday, which was earlier this week on the 26th. You might remember when I first brought Teddy into our home last June. Since then, he's brought love and laughter and so, so much poop into my life.
The scientific benefits of dog-ownership are well-documented. I'm going to document, via list, the benefits of owning Teddy in particular.
- Teddy encourages me to socialize and be community-focused. Walking Teddy is one big social experience. Everyone loves him and wants to discuss his beauty and intelligence. I'm forced to pause my audio books, remove my headphones, and actually speak to my neighbors. I guess this is a benefit.
- Teddy furthers my desire to be a life-long learner. I've learned about classical conditioning, positive reinforcement, and the benefits of consistency in training. I've taken three different obedience classes, and Teddy still jumps all over me. I will continue to learn.
- Teddy teaches me about the need for exact measuring. I've prided myself on being a fairly excellent dog owner. But then, lo and behold, at a recent appointment for the aforementioned copious poop, the vet mentioned that my beloved pooch is obese. What?! "He's a little round," the tech confirmed. I can't believe I let this happen, and let's be honest, I was embarrassed when the tech called me out on my mistake - non-exact measurement of foodstuffs. Shoot.