My dog is a Millennial Snowflake!

I love my pups! They are my constant companions and bring me so much joy.... until.... they don't. LOL Let me explain. 

I just spent a month in Arizona with my daughter. She owns an amazing townhouse with a beautiful courtyard - and 2 pups of her own. My pups are use to a home with 1/3 acre of land, a doggy door and the ability to come and go, run and chase at will - they are not use to sharing their space with 2 cousins and being very limited in there playing.

So a month restricted to a courtyard and being taken for walks where mama expects you to "poop" on command - was just a bit too much for my Bolt. He is a Prima Donna - a Millennial Snowflake! I'm not kidding. He required twice the walking as Bella did in order to do his "business" and sometimes he still refused to go. After a few days he went on a food strike refusing to eat and then to even drink; he had the longest most depressed face you have ever seen. He sulked, pouted and acted all around like the biggest baby ever! No amount of loving and snuggles would make him feel better. 

We ended up having to take Monsieur Snowflake to the vet (to the tune of $250) as we were concerned about his reluctance to eat (usually his favorite activity) and drink. He was very dehydrated and required a camel hump to rehydrate him. This is a procedure where the vet injects a large quantity of saline into the scruff of their neck creating a camel hump which their bodies slowly absorb. After 12 hours Bolt was starting to drink a little and by the next day he was eating small amounts of a bland diet. After another few days he was back to eating and drinking as usual. His attack of the “moodies” was appearing to ebb and he was getting back to his usual playful self. I was really shocked by his behavior. Who knew a dog could be such an emotional mess? He was worse than a teenager. I decided that I was not doing my pups any favors taking them with me on such a long trip away from home. They do better being able to stay at home with a doggie sitter, familiar surroundings and routines. And it is certainly easier on me! I am also pretty sure that my daughter’s pups woke up every morning thinking “Are you still here? Will you ever be going home?” LOL

At the end of the day this is what I know: This earth is God's estate and every creation is sacred and important to him. One of the reasons that our family has always loved having dogs as our companions is because it is an opportunity for us to nurture and love one of God's creations. They bring us joy and love beyond measure. They love us unconditionally and are always there to cheer us up. If they require a little extra care and attention, then I am happy to give it. And when we get to heaven there will be a field of pups waiting for us with tails wagging and voices whining because they can't wait to throw themselves into our arms for a snuggle. It just doesn't get any better than that!