Unconditional love aside, we spoil our pets with snacks and toys, so it’s only fair they somehow return the favors, right? Well, from the looks of photos going viral on Twitter, it seems they have found a way.
It all started when user @miaxperry uploaded a shot of her dog “collecting” her parcel on December 23. As her tweet was going viral, other people began responding with similar pics as well. Pretty soon, the entire thread became cute proof that animals are ready to do anything for their guardians. Scroll down and check it out.
Cal, one of the people whose dog you can see in the list, said their pup loves attention from everyone and loves greeting the delivery person. “Elsie gets very excited when deliveries happen and would often run up to them for a stroke, wagging her tail,” they told Bored Panda.
“In the photo, I accepted the parcel and as the delivery driver was taking a photo as proof, she ran out to greet him. Luckily, on this occasion, he was happy to stroke her,” Cal said, adding that Elsie is very well-known to their frequent delivery drivers and they always say hello.
Another dog who appears on the list is Ace. His owner Kayla said he’s very bubbly, outgoing, and also loves to be stroked by everyone. “Ace always wants to greet the delivery drivers and they always seem to get on well (unless they’re scared of dogs, oops!),” they explained to Bored Panda.
Dog owner Elaine said her pup Jimmy is also really friendly and wants to say hello to everyone who comes to the door. “He hasn’t seen many people this year (obviously) but has seen the delivery drivers lots!” Elaine told Bored Panda. “He goes bonkers when the bell goes and will bark and wiggle his tail [and] b*m excitedly.”
Trying to prevent Jimmy from running outside, his pawrents have to narrowly open the door to speak to the driver. Jimmy, however, still tries to stick his head out to say hello. “The driver was taking a photo of the parcel on the door as proof of delivery and Jimmy popped his head out just as the photo was taken.”
Hannah, who owns a dog named Brandy, said the Shih-Tzu and poodle cross is very cheeky and mischievous! “She’s always on the lookout for dogs, cats, and walkers out of the window, and barks loads when she does! She wants to be fussed whenever there is a visitor, she will not calm down till she’s been fussed and given attention. We have a little stair gate (for babies) to keep her out of the porch whilst I answer the door to delivery workers, she barks nonstop till they’re out of sight. I actually received this photo from my mum as she found it hilarious! She wasn’t expecting to see this picture in her emails when she got her delivery.”
Some pets, however, can freak out every time a delivery person comes to the door. Especially dogs. Barking is a way for your pup to express emotions, and there are many reasons why your dog may bark at your mail carrier. It may be fearful or frustrated that there’s an intruder on its property, and it may think barking will scare the carrier away. They usually come and go before it is able to calm down and get to know them as a friend. The dog could also be scared of the delivery uniform or it could be frustrated that it can’t go up to your carrier and greet them properly.
To try and stop this behavior, Vetstreet trainer Mikkel Becker says you shouldn’t yell at or punish your pup when it barks—it may think you’re just “barking” along with it. You shouldn’t punish your dog for barking, either. It may start to associate the carrier with punishment, which can often increase anxiety and lead to aggression with someone coming to the door.
Dogs look at their owners for guidance and they are very good at picking up their emotions, so keeping cool will only help the pup stay cool as well.
The next thing you can do is create a positive association with your delivery person. For example, if you’re out for a walk or in front of your home and see them coming, it’s a perfect opportunity to train and reward your dog for good behavior. Practice things like sitting, heeling, and lying down when the delivery person is present. Reward your dog with a treat for a job well done, so it will have a positive experience near the carrier, as opposed to feeling anxious or fearful when they come around. But don’t forget to make sure everyone is safe; have a restraint or barrier in place, like a leash or fence.
If you think the delivery person’s outfit may be scaring your dog, try to get it used to people in uniform by buying or renting a costume, or even just procuring a hat and large bag, and enlisting a willing friend or family member to dress up and break out their best acting skills.
Have them come to your door and let your dog have a positive interaction. But take it slow and “read” your dog. Becker suggests starting with the “look” game with the familiar person outside the door and then progressing to having your dog in a sitting position or on its mat, using a leash or gate as a barrier for safety, while your friend cracks the door—without donning a costume at this point. Reward your dog if it remains in place. Once it is comfortable with the friend, progress to them opening the door further and you picking up or pretending to sign for a package. Eventually, as your dog remains in place and relaxed, progress to your friend wearing the costume. If your dog gets upset at any point, go back to an earlier phase.
All that is left is teaching your pet to fetch and it will be collecting your deliveries in no time!
What every good boy and girl needs is a forever home and owners who love them to the moon and back. And, let’s be honest, in a perfect world, there’d be no need for rescue shelters because our bestest friends would all have roofs over their derpy heads where they can blep in peace.
It might not be a perfect world, but there are some great human beings out there who open up their homes (and their hearts) to doggos in need. The r/BeforeNAfterAdoption community is the place to go if you’re in need of an emotional pick-me-up. Cuz photos of sad doggos turning into happy canines will melt your soul and make you feel like life’s full of light.
Upvote the dog pics that made you smile the widest, and let us know if you’ve ever rescued a canine in the comments, dear Pandas. In the mood for some more cozy adopted pet photos from the 351k-member-strong r/BeforeNAfterAdoption subreddit? Jump straight into Bored Panda’s magical animal rescue wonderland right here (so many doggos) and here (much wow).
#2 Miley, Who Came To Me As A Hospice Foster Dog Since She Wasn’t Expected To Live And We Just Wanted To Make Her Comfortable. This Is Her, A Year And A Half Later!
Bored Panda was incredibly curious to find out what the best way to introduce our newest family members to everyone at home should be. So we reached out to the friendly team at the ASPCA. With over 3.3 million dogs going into US animal shelters each year, the ASPCA are experts on the subject of adoptions.
Kelly DiCicco, the ASPCA Adoptions Promotions Manager, told Bored Panda that when it comes to introducing pets to new family members, everyone should take it slow. Have patience. And it’ll pay off. The same tactics apply both to adopted dogs and to cats, too (for any of you feline-lovers out there).
“Do not approach the dog or cat, but allow them to come to you. If the animal begins to show signs of feeling uncomfortable, you should end your session and try again later.”
#4 Brodie Was Brought Into The Shelter After His Mom Attacked Him. Now He’s A Qualified Therapy Dog For People With Disabilities
DiCicco pointed out that there are certain cues you should look out for that indicate that your new dog (or cat) is feeling uncomfortable and needs some alone time.
“In dogs, this could include ‘whale eyes’—a term used to describe when a dog shows the whites of their eyes—paw lifts, lip licking, yawning, and pacing. In cats, this may include hissing, swatting, and keeping their ears pinned back,” she said.
“People don’t like being forced to interact with someone they’re not comfortable with, and neither do pets! Giving the dog or cat a few of its favorite tasty treats during these sessions can help.” We couldn’t agree more. And if we, people, could get treats whenever we’re feeling uncomfortable, life would be almost perfect.
#7 Our Foster Pup When She Was Found On The Streets As A Sick, Discarded, Breeder Mama And Then A Few Days Ago, Napping Peacefully On Our Bed
What’s more, in an earlier interview, DiCicco told us that keeping “an open mind and heart” is best when heading to an animal or rescue shelter. You might just walk out with a pet you never even considered before. DiCicco stressed that anyone willing to adopt a pet shouldn’t be shy about asking shelter staff lots and lots of questions.
“Every shelter has a unique population of animals and no one knows them like the people who work with them every day. Plus, shelter staff have expertise in making successful matches and can help prospective adopters decide whether an animal is a good personality and lifestyle fit. They also consider a potential adopter’s lifestyle, home environment, and the animal’s potential compatibility with children and other animals in the home in order to make matches that are a good fit,” she said.
#10 This Is Lucy, From Nov 1 To Today. My Amazing Wife Saved Her From The Streets And Disease
#11 Harvey Was Born The Runt Of A 12 Puppy Litter. The First Picture Is His First Day With Us At 3.5 Pounds And Lots Of Health Issues. He’s Now 32 Pounds And Getting Quite Handsome!
#13 Patron Was Found Discarded In A Trash Bag On The Side Of The Highway At 4 Weeks Old. 8 Weeks Later, He’s A Very Happy Boy And We Couldn’t Love Him More!
#14 Hiya, This Is Rimosa! I Rescued Her Back In June Of 2019. She Had Yeast, Heart Worms, Lots Of Other Infections, Missing Teeth, She Was Missing Most Of Her Hair, And She Had Been Beaten. She’s Fine Now, Top Picture Was The Day I Brought Her Home And The Other Was Last Week. Working On Her Manners Now
#15 This Boy Came To My Partner And I As A Foster Dog, But Within Hours Of Meeting We Knew We Wanted To Keep Him Forever. Introducing Hades, My Big Soft Goofball
#17 It’s Been 4 Months Since I Caught Marley And Her Puppies. She Was Living As Part Of A Feral Pack For 13 Months After Being Abandoned, And It Took Me 3 Months To Gain Her Trust. She Seems To Know Everything’s Going To Be Alright Now
#23 Wilbur Was Found As A Stray, Missing Hair, Underweight And His Whole Body Was Inflamed Due To Allergies. Two Years Later My Boy Is Happy, Healthy And The Love Of My Life!
When you see a mirror, you see yourself. This seemingly basic ability demonstrates whether an animal being possesses self-awareness. Humans, great apes, dolphins, elephants, and magpies are also said to pass Gordon Galoup’s famous “mirror test.”
It’s still debatable whether our pets like dogs, cats, or rabbits have that same ability. But from what countless pet owners have seen, gazing at yourself is quite a trend in the house animal kingdom. Bored Panda compiled a list of the most adorable little pets looking at their reflections, as if they were telling them: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the furriest of them all?” We may not know the reason for such behavior, but at least we know the motif.
When we look into a mirror, we recognize that the image we’re looking at is our own. Psychologists see it as a special mental act which requires sophisticated aspects of our consciousness. Interestingly, the ability to be self-aware of one’s reflection is not something we’re born with. It’s only between the age of 18 and 24 months that babies begin to understand what it is that they’re seeing in the mirror.
The mirror self-recognition test has been applied to animals since its inception in the 1970s and has been considered to be the gold standard indicating whether a living being is self-aware or not. While very few animals and primates have showed signs of self-awareness and passed mirror tests, our beloved dogs have failed it.
According toThe Cut, “They do not seem to know, or perhaps they don’t really care, what is going on with the mirror’s scentless, two-dimensional representation of a dog.”
However, many scientists feel skeptical about whether the mirror test is the right indication of animal consciousness. For example, the primatologist Frans de Waal argues that self-awareness should be understood as a broader concept. “I cannot imagine that a cat or a dog—even though they don’t recognize themselves in the mirror—I find it hard to imagine that they have no awareness of themselves,” he said.
And while in human developmental psychology, the mirror represents a significant threshold in our sense of self, animal minds don’t necessarily work like the human mind. Not every animal is attuned to social intelligence so deeply like us, and not every animal perceives the world in its visual dimension. Dogs, for example, could have failed the mirror test because their primary instrument of perception is smell.
#7 “I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, And Gosh Darnit, People Like Me”
Just like Hina the Shiba Inu, Kiko likes to stand out in a group photo. Only she has developed her own special quirk and is way more consistent—when Kiko’s pack is posing in front of the camera, the puppy “rebels” by turning her back to the photographer. However, she doesn’t ignore them completely. Kiko also snaps back her head, showing her face in an “Oh my God, how can she even bend like that” kind of way. Call it misbehaving if you want, but Kiko’s friends seem to be fine with her acting out. At least, most of the time!
“The three ginger dogs are Finnish spitz,” Ashleigh Macpherson introduced her dogs to Bored Panda. “We have Mika, who is 3 years old. The other ginger dog is Tofu. She is Mika’s daughter, and 1 and a half years old. The last ginger is Kiko, who is 9 months old, and the one who often turns her head backwards. She is also Mika’s daughter. They are crazy little dogs who are sassy and very cat-like. They are very talkative and have so much to say. They are small dogs with huge personalities.”
The white dog is Kaya. This lady is a White Swiss shepherd. She is 6 years old and the “motherly figure” of the adorable group.
“Kiko was a Covid puppy and was raised during the lockdown,” Macpherson explained. “She was a singleton puppy, who had no littermates. So her company that she grew up with was the cats. Maybe that’s why she’s such a weird character.”
The dogs have been trained to sit and pose for the camera but since Kiko is still a young puppy, she will sometimes break her stay to do other things instead, which includes “ruining” the pack’s photos! She learned that on her own.
“If she is facing the opposite direction, she will automatically want to turn her head and look at me. It’s her own quirk, and has recently been turned into a trick,” Macpherson explained.
These dogs really are a family, and not just because of their blood! They go together on walks and hikes, usually twice a day. “Since Finnish spitz are high-energy dogs, they need that exercise, or they’ll be running mad at home.”
They also do training daily, just to keep their basic obedience in check.
“When I go to work, Kiko comes with me while the other dogs stay at home,” Macpherson said. “They all usually sleep until I’m back from work, that’s when we go for our 2nd walk/hike.”
Ahh, nosey neighbors. Everybody gets the pleasure of dealing with them at some point in their lives. What are these people hoping to see while carrying out their spying duties? Their neighbor hiding a body? Performing a drug transaction? Cheating on their spouse? Or using superpowers? Well, I guess we’ll never know. Unless you, the person reading this, are a nosey neighbor yourself, and if that’s the case, make sure to answer these questions down below.
Turns out, an animal can be just as nosey of a neighbor too. Just like some folks, some pets like to spend their evenings sitting by the window, people-watching and hoping to observe something truly intriguing. The only difference is that we can never be mad at them for it. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through some of the most hilarious and adorable photos capturing pets being nosey neighbors.
Snuggling up next to your beloved pet on the couch is what the cold season should be all about. Of course, far from everyone wants to have an animal in their homes and their lives. They think they might be too busy for a pet. Or that taking care of them might be too hard. That’s what they think—at first. But when they finally got the dog, all doubts left their minds and they became lifelong friends.
People are sharing their wholesome stories about their dogs and their loved ones’ pets under the #didntwantadogchallenge hashtag on the Dogspotting Society public Facebook group that has over 1 million members. These stories are bound to improve your mood and make you want to rescue a dog if you don’t already have a best boy or girl at home. Don’t forget to upvote the pics that made you smile the most and scroll down for Bored Panda’s insightful interviews about how to make new pets feel right at home and for our chat with a member of the Dogspotting moderator team.
The Dogspotting team confirmed to Bored Panda that it’s their community members who are being proactive and creating the wholesome challenges by themselves. When you’re done soaking in all the positive vibes from this list, have a look through our previous posts about people who didn’t want any ‘darn’ canines in their lives but quickly changed their minds right here and here. Oh, and check out our posts about the Dogspotting community here and here.
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#1
Storm came to me one late night 10 years ago when a rescue I fostered for called needing an emergency foster. I had been working exclusively with shepherds and knew nothing of huskies. Two fosters had already bailed on her and they were in a pinch. “Take her home and keep her kenneled, she’ll prolly try to eat your cats” she said. “It’s only for one night, as we have an adopter lined up for her tomorrow” she said. I’ve never felt a bond that was more instantaneous. I picked her up at 930 pm and at 9 am I called them and told them to tell the waiting adopter whatever they needed to, but this dog was home. I wasn’t looking for a dog, let alone a breed I knew nothing about. But I knew she was mine. In the ten years we had her, she welcomed many many foster dogs (literally hundreds), along with a few cat and kitten fosters. She was perfect, and we made our way to get qualified and start Therapy dog work, visiting hospitals, retirement homes, and teens in crisis. She brought joy to so many. She didn’t walk…she pranced. She hated dirt, grass, water…anything that would diminish her beautiful, plush fur. She never met a stranger. I can still hear her wooo-wooo. Thank you for reading and getting to know this gem. Part of my heart left with her. The dog I never asked for, and didn’t know how much I needed. She passed last month at 15.5 years. She was indeed….magic.
My grandpa’s dog had passed a few years back and he swore he wouldn’t ever get or love another dog again. Long story short…. Delilah is now the love of his life, and they hold hands.
A member of the Dogspotting team told Bored Panda that the community has always had similar stories on their page about how some people think they don’t want to have a dog in their homes and their lives. “I think its a common experience when you’re in a household of many to have one person who might not be as excited as the others. But dogs usually find a way to melt those hearts pretty quickly. And as we’ve seen on the page, it happens a lot!” they revealed.
The representative of the Dogspotting Headquarters team said that the challenges are mostly started by members of the community. “Most of them based on universal experiences, so many people can interact with one another. Some of the other challenges we’ve seen are #thenandnowchallenge, #whatwasyourdogmistakenforchallenge, #smilingdogchallenge, and #unflatteringdogphotochallenge, just to name a few!”
They also urged anyone who wants to adopt a dog to go for it. “Now is a great time to do it! With so many people working from home, you’ll have more time to bond with your new best friend! Contact local animal rescues and shelters in your area and they’ll be able to help you! We know this year has been very difficult for a lot of our members and the challenges have added a bit of levity for everyone.”
#4
My ex told me we weren’t having a a dachshund when moving in together, knowing I’d grown up with them since I was 11.
So when he couldn’t decide if he wanted to be with me or not, I decided I wasn’t going to be just an option.
1 month later I got the house we were getting together and my mum got me the best gift of my life.
My Ralph <3 I’d say I upgraded to a better bearded bloke! What do you guys think? Single and living my best life with my best friend.
6 years ago my husband went to the shelter and called asking if he could bring this guy home. I was still pretty heartbroken after losing our last dog and wasn’t ready yet, but he insisted. Those two were best buds immediately. My husband passed away suddenly 4 years ago, and even though he left behind his big, smelly dog, who doesn’t believe in personal space at all, I’m so thankful to have him.❤
The Dogspotting family is incredibly large. You’ve got your Dogspotting Society public group, their sister site, Dogspotting, the Dogspotting Headquarters page, Dogspoting Media, and even a court page where you can contest bans. It’s not far from the truth to say that the Dogspotting community is a lot like a conglomerate or even a small country. They also have a lot of rules that they enforce, according to The Guardian.
The Dogspotting Society is running a whole bunch of different challenges all at once, not just the ‘Didn’t Want A Dog Challenge,’ so be sure to check them all out.
If you do end up rescuing a dog, you can’t expect them to immediately trust you from day one. Bored Panda spoke about making rescue pets feel comfortable at their new forever homes with ASPCA Adoptions Promotions Manager Kelly DiCicco.
#7
Picture 1: My initial text to my husband. Picture 2: My husband meeting found puppy. Picture 3: My husband said “I’ll just go get him a harness so we can walk him” and came home with a Kong harness that I knew was not cheap because I had looked at it for my other dogs and been like “nah, too expensive.” (That’s when I knew we were keeping him.) Picture 4: Guess who Walker Delwood (that’s what my husband named him) loves more than anyone (even though I’m the one who stopped traffic and rescued him out of the middle of the road)? Yep. My husband. They’re BFFs. (I’m ok with it because I have two other dogs and they love me the most.)
When we got married he was adamant about not having dogs ever. I begged and begged, and he agreed that I adopt a GSD puppy from the shelter. That was the beginning. Fast forward 31 years later, we had 40+ dogs together, currently 22 of them still with us. And hubby is the biggest sucker when it comes to our doggie babies 🥰❤️🐾
I was 22 years old and working as a veterinary technician. It’s not that I didn’t want a dog, but I had no intention of getting one at this point in my life. A breeder client who’s dogs I absolutely loved, had a litter and 2 out of 11 pups were born with cleft palates, another with a cleft lip. They tried their best with all 3 special needs babies, unfortunately the 2 cleft palates pups didn’t make it. The 3rd little runt puppy started to thrive after a few weeks of being tube fed and bottle fed. They even did surgery to try to repair her cleft lip. Unfortunately the stitches didn’t hold, so she came in to have them taken out. At the point of this puppy’s appointment (also a vet check for the whole litter) the clinic was very busy, and the doctor asked me to take this puppy to back to remove her stitches – everyone else was busy so I had to do this alone without someone to restrain her. I decided to sit down and I put the little puppy on her back in my lap. The biggest, sweetest brown eyes just started up at me, her legs flopped to the side and she just laid there calm as could be while I removed several stitches from her face. It was love at first sight, I knew in that instant I needed this particular dog in my life and she had to be mine. The breeders agreed and a couple days (what felt like an eternity) later I brought home my baby girl. The little cleft lip runt went on to not only out grow many of her litter mates, but also lived the longest. I lost my Penelope last year after 9.5 years. She was the best thing that ever happened to me, and she will forever be my heart dog ❤️
“You wouldn’t expect a new person in your home to know your routine and to snuggle you on command, so apply the same ideas to your new pet. For the first few weeks, try to create a consistent schedule for your pet so they get used to a daily routine and the people in their new family,” DiCicco explained the importance of routine and patience.
“It’s best to create a safe and quiet space in your home in case they need some alone time. It’s also particularly important in the first few weeks of having a new pet to get into the habit of consent petting. This means that, instead of the human initiating the petting, the dog or cat initiates the petting. Stop every few seconds, and only start again when they nudge you for more,” she said.
Well, there you go, dear Pandas—something that is bound to help you out if you go rescue a dog (or a cat, don’t worry, we won’t judge you).
#10
Me: “Let’s go to the pound and check out some rescues just to pass the time”
Him:” No, because your gonna want to come home with a dog and we already have three…”
Me: “No,not at all. I just wanna look” [picks up puppy]
Me: “Can we get this one?”
Him: “Step away from the puppy, Stacy”
Me: “Wait! Let’s talk about this for a minute “
Him: “Come on, we can always come back if we decide we want to get him” [turns around and heads towards the door]
Me: “But what if he’s not here when we get back… “
Him: “Seriously right now!? Is it going to make you happy?”
And BAM! The first photo was taken of dad holding his new best friend. As you can see my husband was absolutely thrilled. Okay, not really lol
Now these two are inseparable and no one wants to hang out with me lol
I didn’t want ANOTHER dog. We had a new baby, and two older dogs to care for and I didn’t want another dog… My cousin told me about a puppy that needed training help (I’m a dog trainer). The owners said their new puppy was aggressive, manic and they called her a ‘devil dog’. I suspected that this was just a normal puppy that was doing normal puppy biting. The story started to unravel – puppy was being kept in a crate, no one was playing with puppy, puppy was having food and water withheld, puppy was peeing a lot, puppy was eating her own p**p. Owners had started to really neglect the puppy and…. They didn’t want her anymore. Cut to me picking up a 3 month old puppy from the airport, a little underweight, very friendly but a little scared, and bringing her home. To say it was busy was an understatement. This puppy needed extra help to learn good manners, potty training was a challenge and I had a 6 month old baby at the same time. I thought to myself, what have I done? I was tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. That is just all a fuzzy memory now. We have a beautiful, loving, silly, fluffy dog who is my daughter’s playmate and best friend. ❤️
Its not that I didn’t want a dog, I just wasn’t ready. I was in a fairly new relationship and my life was just beginning to settle down. Then one day at work I got the phone call… “Jen, you know the one eared doberman puppy I told you about? She needs a home and you are the only person I know who could raise her and well. They need to get rid of her ASAP and the second option isn’t looking good”. I explained with work etc and my small flat that I wouldn’t be good enough but with a couple of hours, I was convinced. “Okay, I’ll foster her and find her her forever home, I’m not ready for the commitment” One hour in, the little devil bit like mad, scratched. Tore apart everything in her track. I knew “no one will be mad enough to take this dog on”. 6 months later my engagement collapsed. With my work and my money and small space, I have to find her a better home. I rang my friend crying. “Jen, you and your home are all she has ever known. You are the best place for her”. 2 months later he breaks in with a knife and attacks us. She defended me. I knew, no matter what, I had to stick by her like she did me. We worked so hard on her behaviour. I halved my hours, I learned to budget and now 2 years on almost to the day, she is still here, by my side, my best friend and the best thing to have ever happened to me. With persistence she turned into the sweetest most loving lap dog. I’m grateful for her every single day.
“I don’t want to adopt a senior dog. She’ll break our heart one day soon.” He even made me take her back and was livid when I ended up bringing her home a second time.. It took awhile but the laughs she created in the home replaced the feelings he had before.. She broke our hearts 9/4/20 💔 If you ask my boyfriend, he’d say he wouldn’t trade those 2 years with her. We would do it all over again. He’s gunna k**l me when he sees this though. Rest In Peace Ms.B 👼 🐾
Husband before: “Listen, if the dog barks like crazy, s***s in the house, or destroys things we are bringing him back” Husband now: “Wrap him in a blanket, he’s cold!!!” (Honestly I think he would pick Thanos over me, his wife!)
When I moved out of my mom’s into a house with my fiance, I was admittedly on probation. I was fighting an addiction and in no way did I want any more responsibilities. I have always been an avid dog lover and one day I was sad and craving puppy snuggles. I jokingly posted on Facebook that I had puppy fever, not expecting anything from it. Then someone posted a picture of the white dog, now named Stella, on the post saying she needed a new home. I didn’t want a dog, at all, but I kept thinking about her throughout the day and finally made a whirlwind decision to bring her home with me. Then the grey dog, my Little, my fiance wanted his own puppy and a friend for Stella and I was completely against it. He goes and finds a puppy anyways and I again fell in love. She has dwarfism and a plethora of other health issues which is WAY MORE than I wanted to take on, but she is my baby and I love her. If you read this far, there is a very short version of my story. This picture is already four whole years old, so not wanting a dog turned into having two, four year old American Pitbull Terriers running around my house and they have saved me in more ways than I can count. Best decision ever.
Me: I’ll always have at least one dog. Future husband: I’m really more of a cat person, but you do you. Me: I’m going to start fostering dogs, in addition to the three we have. Husband: 🤦🏻♂️🙄 fine, but I’m not getting involved. Me: I have a post-op foster. She’s very sick, idk if she’ll survive. She’ll probably be with us for a couple months while we rehab her for adoption. Husband: don’t get attached. Me: she’s cardiac stable & cancer free and ready for adoption! Husband: you’re not giving away my dog!
This is Josie. She’ll be 10 on Christmas Day. She started out being adopted as a puppy by my friend’s brother and his wife. They realized pretty quickly they’d made a mistake and she went to my friend. She already had an elderly pup and couldn’t keep her so, they started trying to find a home for this girl to go to. I couldn’t bear to watch her go to just some random family so, I called my parents and asked if we could take her. My mom always said that if she got a dog, it would be a lab and I couldn’t imagine this being more perfect of a situation. After several no’s and them basically telling me if I wanted a dog, I should move out, they agreed to let me keep her. My dad was always a cat person and really never wanted a dog. It took him a little while to warm up to her and the idea of having a dog in the house but he eventually settled into it. Fast forward a few years later when I was finally moving out, I asked my dad what he was going to do since I was moving out and Josie would be coming with me. His exact words were, “F you, no she’s not.” So, I moved out and she stayed with my parents. Fast forward another few years and my dad was going through crippling and debilitating back pain to the point that he just became a miserable ball of depression. But the one thing that always cheered him up was all 70 pounds of Josie climbing up onto his lap for a snuggle. My dad is a bearded 6’3, pushing 300 pounds, military man who intimidates people just by looking at them but his voice can reach an octave I never thought was possible when he calls over “Josie dawg.” She’s always by his side, especially when she gets to go in the truck to go to Tim’s (Tim Hortons) where every employee knows who she is. They hear my dad’s voice at the drive thru speaker and always end the order with, “And a Timbit for Josie?” 10 whole years with this girl and we know it won’t last forever. She’s the best thing that could have happened to our family, especially my dad, and we didn’t even know we needed it.
Sept, 2018 HW: (to deployed husband) Best friend has the kids for a little while. I’m going to go to the farm and grab some pumpkins for jack o lanterns. (2 hours later) HW: (sends first two pictures to husband) Husband: That’s not a pumpkin. Just what is that?! There was an adoption event at the farm, full of puppies and this wretched creature. A volunteer tried to talk me out of her, citing her bad eyes, bad teeth, and bad hip, even her graying hair. Well I too have bad eyes, bad teeth, a bad hip, and graying hair. Someone had left her at the shelter as we evacuated from hurricane Florence. I don’t know how old she is, or even what she is, but I know I don’t know what I would do without her.
It had been six months since our dog of 15 years passed. Mom, brother, and I were still not over it, and were desperate for a new dog to fill the hole in our hearts. Dad was not so convinced. On a stroke of fate, I came across Jade on a local rescue page. Mom and I filled out the application, and we got a day to meet Jade as a family. On the day of, almost as if she knew she had to convince him, Jade ran to Dad for cuddles. First thing out of my dad’s mouth: “She’s too small.” Flash forward a year, Jade became his “tiny princess,” and has never looked back.
When I met my partner just over 2 years ago, he’d only ever had working dogs. I had two chihuahuas and he was very sceptical and said that chihuahuas aren’t real dogs. He said that when he was here, the sofa and bed were both dog free zones. He moved in with me and the two dogs after 4 months. Fast forward 2 years and I often question who he loves more, me or his little baby Daisy?!
Bo was a pup out of a litter of 14. I had been taking my partner to see these puppies trying to twist his arm into taking one. I always had my eye on Bo (pictured). The condition and health of the puppies started declining and after leaving there one afternoon I told him we need to take her ASAP. She was just under 6 weeks old (very young) but I consulted my friend who is an ex vet nurse and was advised she would be in better hands with us to get the treatment she needed than to stay with the mother. He was very reluctant but the next day we went and picked her up. 2 days later all of the puppies including mum were stolen. Bo is our miracle child and my partner thanks me all the time for pushing him to take her.
I was 16 at the time. My friends dog just had puppies! I begged my dad for one but he was adamant that we were NOT getting a dog. Okay fine, but can you at least come and look at them? Me, being a spoiled brat, ended up convincing him that I REALLY needed one. “Tippy” we called her. (Her head was so big that she would tip over when she was going potty). She was supposed to be MY dog. “Supposed to be”- being the key words. That man loved that little puke SO much, that myself and my siblings knew that we were outta the will. Tippy was his only child now. One time, I had waited and waited for this jacket to go on sale. I asked my dad to buy it. He totally said no! Earlier that day he had gone out and bought TIPPY a brand new 40$ coat. ALSO! I do have my very own sweet German shepherd now (she’s 9) but to make things extra salty, tippy went and passed away on MY MOLLYS birthday! Ugh! All I know is that my parents won’t be crying that much at my funeral. All jokes aside, she truly was one of the BEST members of this family and she will be greatly missed forever and ever. love you, ya little brat.
We were driving to my grandmother’s house and we were in her neighborhood. My dad looks to the left and goes “Hey look! German Shepherd puppies for sale!” And my mom immediately goes “PSH yeah right.” And my dad had said “Yeah you’re right.” So we arrive to my grandmothers house. We say hello to my aunt, cousin, and grandmother. Unload the car and we’re all outside talking. And my mom looks at me, and goes “Do you want to look at the puppies?” IMMEDIATELY I answered “YES”. So when the conversation dies down, my mom goes “Okay we’ll be right back.” And my dad asks “Where you going?” I fire backed with “To look at the puppies!!” All excited and thrilled about it😂 We get there and my mom goes “We’re ONLY looking.” Within minutes we fell inlove with this little baby puppy. And she goes “Well. If you can convince your dad..” So I run back and drag my dad out of the house to look at this puppy. And he goes “I don’t want any more dogs.” He saw the puppy and now we have a four year old German Shepherd. His name is Cuda 😂 He’s become my child. A very good boi 30/10 😊
Me: “I’ll NEVER own a pit bull!” However, when I met my husband he said I will never get married again or have more kids. We have been married now 26 years and 2 more kids😂😂 Never say never
It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want a dog. We’d been talking about it since we bought a house, but with five cats and a fair amount of new credit card debt we were apprehensive to say the least. Then my husband made the joke as we were browsing adoption postings “Hey. Wouldn’t it be funny if we got a great dane!? We’re both tiny. The cats are tiny. Then we’d have this huge dog!” We both laughed. No way in h**l. Absolutely not. Two years and two danes later……
The OG love of our lives, Spartacus our black lab, passed away 6 years ago. One year ago after trying to convince hubby it was time, that 5 years without a dog in the house was far too long to no a*******y youngest son and I snuck off on a 12 hour round trip to the mountains to get our Howard. I sent my husband his picture on the way home to which he responded– “ThAtS fInE. ThAt Is YoUr DoG tHoUgH. YoU anD tHe kIdS can TaKe CaRe oF tHaT uGlY tHiNg. My BoY iS gOnE and I dOn’T nEeD aNoThEr OnE bLaH bLaH bLaH”. Well. That lasted until we walked in the door. Howard has now been with us a whole year and they have watched TV in exactly this position every night since he came home. They also do LITERALLY everything else together. Howard even has his own special captains seat in the boat to sit by my husband. Yep. He didn’t want a dog….
I am a lab person I’ve always owned labs they are the ones I am drawn to. After a few years in a long-distance relationship my fiancé moved to Colorado determined to get another Rottweiler. Absolutely not they are big they are loud and they are scary. I know nothing about them and they intimidate me. He is persistent and I agree to a possible rescue. There are no rescues to be found😔After yet another exhausting search I stumble across a litter of puppies making their way through Colorado from Arizona. I then set up one of the shadiest meetings ever on the side of the interstate. Where I found love like I have never found love before. Rocky be still my heart ♥️ At only five weeks old and no mom in sight and not a clear thought in my mind we brought him home. Boy was I wrong he is the smartest most well behaved best boy ever! He has gotten me through a major stroke at 40 and we are now practicing for him to walk me down the aisle.I like to say we rescued Rocky but he definitely rescued us! We’ve added is his little sister Echo during the pandemic.(she is everything I thought a Rottweiler was except scary LOL).I guess I’m a Rottweiler person now more importantly I’m a dog person
Me: [as soon as we bought our house, started leaving dog toys and treats around the house- on the fireplace, in his car, on his pillow…] Him: “We’re not getting a dog!” Me: [brings one home, anyways] Him: “We’re not getting a second dog!” Me: [brings one home, anyways] Him: “We are not getting a third dog!” Me: [begged and pleaded and made offers that would cause my kids to seek therapy if they knew and I had no intention of following through with…] Him: “Fine. I’ll go look at this dog but, if we don’t get him (he was a rescue), don’t ever ask me look at another one!” Also Him: “Legacy and Koda got their candy coated peanuts. Holly doesn’t like them. She doesn’t like Jelly Belly’s either. She does like Nibs.”
The bond between humans and their pets is often immediate and profound. Many might initially feel apprehensive about bringing a new pet into their home, doubting their capacity to care for an animal.
Yet, similar to how one might realize the importance of teaching young children about positive self-image, as illustrated by creating accepting conversations in families, embracing a pet often enriches lives in unexpected ways.
