I Wanna Dog!! (And A Mini-Review)
12:39 PMBut I won't be getting one any time soon. It seems that d-o-g has become the equivalent of a four-letter word in our household. The situation has become an absolute killjoy.
So instead of To help mitigate soon of my annoyance and aggravation about the situation, I decided that I would get a dog and it would be ALL mine without outside influence—or interference.
So I got an Imaginary Dog and I'd love for you to meet her!
Her name is Lovey. It was originally LuLu, but the term lovey was used to describe her and it just fit. I'd also considered Yip, but it just didn't work for her.
 |
| Lovey Ink and watercolor Canson 180º Artbook Sketchbook |
I decided to create a journal about having a dog, the ups and the downs, the good, the bad, the goofiness, the messes, the fun and the unconditional love that only a dog has to give. When asked why I wanted a dog, I guess that would be my answer. For the unconditional love that only a dog can give. People simply don't know how to love unconditionally.
I considered what my steps would be if I were really going to adopt Lovey and I figured the first thing I'd do is go shopping, right?!
I found a sweet, pale-pink collar, a bright-pink plush toy in the shape of a bone and a bright-pink leash to match the toy. Then I found a couple of beds with polka-dot material and the sweetest little pink bow on the front (wonder how long it will last before she has it chewed off?).
Knowing I had a two hour drive to go get her and bring her home, I figured I'd be nervous. After all, I wanted her to not just like me but love me! I got there early. Lovey and I played and walked and loved and petted while the woman at the shelter explained what to do when we got home…
- Introduce Lovey to her environment by walking her around on the leash and letting her sniff and smell.
- Show her where her food and water bowls are as well as her beds.
- Let her wander around, but keep the leash on so that you can keep a gentle hold on her to keep her from walking into anything.
- Take her outside and let her sniff and smell around the yard. "Show" her to her potty spot.
- Introduce her to the feline nation of 3 cats!
I took it as a good sign that Lovey whined when I walked away to go do the paperwork. Once it was all completed, I gathered up my dog and set off for home.
Who knew 2 hours was a lifetime when you have a scared puppy in the truck?! But we made it home, safe and in one piece!
Next up, I'll be journaling about Lovey and meeting the cats.
______________________________
Like most artists, I like to try new things. I recently picked up this Canson 180º ArtBook Sketchbook to try out. If I coulda tried before I bought it, I never woulda bought it!
If you look through the images above, you'll see lots of bleed through.
If you look at the pages above, you'll see lots of smeared ink. Didn't matter if it was permanent or not. Didn't matter what brand…the ink took a long time to dry!
See that little black band? That's part of what attracted me to the journal in the first place. It closes the book with a magnet at the end of the band. Pain in the patooty! It's constantly in the way.
Oddly enough, it does handle watercolor okay. There's a small amount of cockling, but it's not bad. The paper works well with light colored pencil too.
Should you fall prey and buy one, just don't use ink and you'll be fine.
13 Creative Thought(s)
What fun it would be to get a new puppy. I am not patient enough for a puppy tho. I loved getting my "older" doggie. She had been relinguished to a shelter for some reason. She was already potty trained and ever so grateful to get out of jail, I mean the shelter. My Sister is a believer in getting puppies. She is more patient than I am by a long shot. I think you got the right idea for the first thing to do...go shopping. Just choosing the dog food is a major consideration now days. Geez. Don't need so many beds tho because she will be in your lap before you know it. :)
ReplyDeleteI worry about the patience part too, Lisa, but with an imaginary pup it won't be an issue. And we ran into some of those food issues long before the latest snafu with Beneful. It's scary.
DeleteOh I'm goinna love this adventure, Laure. What a cute page. Only 2 beds? Each of our 2 boyz has three...one in the bedroom, in case they get too warm sleeping in the 'big bed' and want to get on the floor,..one in the living room in case they don't want to sleep on the couch and one in the office/studio. We also had a special ramp built to place next to the 'big bed' so they could get up without jumping. Doxies are prone to back problems. Both of our boyz are rescues and they came with their own issues. They are both definitely special needs doggies with forever homes. Can't wait to read the next installment. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteCan you say spoiled?!! I guess that's what we have dogs and cats in our lives for. No doubt, Lovey will be just as spoiled as your boys!
DeleteI'm so sad you can't have the real doggie. We do what we can and having her via an imaginary story is a good alternative. What cute things you've picked out for her. They look great on the page - I don't see the inking problems. (Perhaps I should get out a magnifying glass lol). Can't wait to see how the kitties deal with her!
ReplyDeleteWe do what we can, Timaree. I suspect the world is fixing to slide right off its axis for both Lovey and the cats!
DeleteWhat a great idea! All the fun of a puppy and none of the mess. I know it's not quite as good as the real thing, messes and all, but I like how you've used this as a way to let your feelings out. I look forward to more installments! (And if you need a companion when and if you do finally adopt a dog, you can count on me. Though that might be dangerous. For me. You know how that last adoption experience went...)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the offer, ma'am! Your name actually came up a little over a week ago when there a "close call" about a possible candidate. It didn't work out and things have definitely gone south since then so I think you're safe for now.
DeleteThis breaks my heart! When you said, past tense, “She was in a shelter,” I hope you meant Lovey is no longer in a shelter and has found her forever home. To pretend she is now in a safe, loving environment if her reality remains quite different would be unbearable! Having volunteered at a rescue facility for several years and owning a rescued dog, I ache for all the animals who still need a home, but especially for those like Lovey, who have special needs. Too many of them never find their own place to belong. I pray that, if they haven’t already, someone adopts this sweet girl soon and gives her the real life she deserves.
ReplyDeleteThe real Lovey has been adopted. If anything, by pretending, I hope to raise some awareness by discussing her being at the shelter and the work that goes into rescuing special needs animals. This won't be the first nor the last reference to that situation as many dogs and cats—with and without special needs—are waiting for forever homes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story Laure! I agree with everyone here, your story is so engaging and compelling, that it pulled me right in and made me think about (and miss) our beloved Misty and Princess.
ReplyDeleteOh Laure - I love your imaginary doggie - and your sketches of the kitties as well. Thanks for making me smile and also the tip on the new sketchbook - I think I will stay away from this one! Have a great week-end.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across your blog and this post was a delight to read. I had imaginary dogs all my young life because I wasn't allowed to have one as a child (despite asking every birthday and christmas). In my early teens, I had an imaginary Tibetan Mastiff as I'd seen the breed on TV. I just loved their presence and went on to read all I could find. It took 20 years to materialise into a real puppy, but it happened when I was least expecting to get a TM. By a lot of coincidences and kindness of a very dear friend, my imaginary dog found me. When I saw his photos, he was perfect down to his markings so I must have one fabulous imagination - he-he! He's now 10 and lying about 4 feet away from me.
ReplyDeleteKeep wishing and I'm sure your real imaginary dog will turn up eventually too! And it was lovely for you to try and raise a bit of awareness for shelter dogs and rescues. Most of my other dogs that I've owned have been second hand or rescues.
Let's talk!