Happy Birthday to a Great Dog

To finish out this week I have one more birthday to talk about. Our family dog, Charlie, turns 5 today.

I have so many great memories already of our little mutt. I remember the day we first saw him. He’s a rescue puppy. I was driving home from my dental lab job, before I was an at home parent, and I got a flat tire. I had to wait around for an hour or so for Triple A, and a new rescue shelter had just opened by my job. I decided to pass the time by checking out the dogs. When I first laid eyes on Charlie, then known as Patrick, I snapped a picture and sent it to my wife. She came straight to the shelter after she got our son, and we all checked him out. We spent some time with him in a room, and it just clicked. My wife and I both knew that we wanted him. It was time for a new dog. We put in to adopt, but found out we were number 2 on the list. Thankfully, the people before us changed their minds the next day, and we were able to adopt him. We picked him up that Friday and brought him home.

From puppy to now, Charlie has been an absolute delight. It was great to have a 1 year old and a new puppy. They essentially were on the same schedule. Bathroom breaks, sleeping, eating, they all coincided perfectly. While potty training Charlie was tough, and having to leave him gated all day while my wife and I went to work stunk, it was all worth it in the long run. Charlie was a pretty great puppy. Sure, there were accidents and some chewed on shoes, toys and curtains, but otherwise, he was easy. He potty trained fairly easy, and, luckily for us, he took to our sleep schedule with ease.

Charlie has always been a pretty independent dog. He does get separation anxiety, and he has to be kenneled when we leave him home. But, we we stay home, he kind of sticks to his spots and sleeps for awhile, and then plays. He will get riled up for a bit during the afternoon, so I’ll play some fetch with him. He is not a great running partner, but he is an excellent hiking partner. Charlie is so relaxed that sometimes I forget he is even around. He has definitely taken upon our way of living. As I type this right now, he is laying next to my head on the couch. He is so calm and cool, that is, unless someone knocks on our door. He loses his god damn mind. He has a loud, piercing bark. It can be annoying, but it’s also helpful. We always know when someone is coming to our home. He also likes to eat literal garbage, but what dog doesn’t?

What I’m trying to say is, 5 years ago my wife and I struck gold with Charlie. He is the perfect dog. He loves the kids, our parents, he doesn’t shed and he is, most of the time, quiet. Charlie has made me a better animal parent and I love him so much. I know he can’t read this, but happy birthday Charlie Boy. We love you so much, and here’s to many more birthdays big guy. Enjoy your day.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. How does Charlie match up to the dogs of pop culture? Listen to a podcast we did about that very subject. 

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