I stayed in an Airbnb for a couple of weeks while I looked for a place to live. I’m trying to buy a house, and in the meantime, I needed a rental while I looked.
That’s not an easy task these days considering the housing shortage and the inflationary pressure it’s putting on home prices and rent. Compounding my challenge were my two pets: a cat and a dog. Many Airbnb and rentals don’t allow them.
Fortunately, I have a friend with a few cats and dogs of her own who put them up. And I found a short-term rental that allows pets while I shop for a house.
Still, our separation was a reminder of the important role my pets play in my life. I’m older, single, though maybe not permanently so, and I unashamedly admit I always explain myself to my dog(s) when I leave the house without them. I realize canines are not fluent in English, but they do understand tone of voice. Calmly telling them I’m going to the store for a few things doesn’t mean they know I’ll return, but the way I say it does.
This method cures most instances of separation anxiety.
I’ve had dogs all my life, starting with Fella, a collie mix that was there from the moment I was old enough to be aware we had a pet dog. And there were always cats at the house. Dad rescued Beau, the first, a black kitten who crossed his path on a freeway off-ramp. She lived with us for nearly 20 years, despite losing the use of one of her legs when she was attacked by a pack of feral dogs.
We had one of those homes strays were drawn to. If our cat count was ever down to just Beau, it was never long before a new cat showed up and moved into the garage.
I had many great dogs over the years and one or two who weren’t so great. But my relationship with canines took on new meaning when Jack, my first bird dog, joined the family.
Living with a bird dog is different than living with a pet dog which is essentially an unemployed freeloader. And that’s not to say I think there’s anything wrong with keeping a jobless dog around the house, or that my relationship with my bird dog is somehow better or more intense than the lives others share with their pets. It’s just that it intensified my relationship with my dog.
Jade, and before her, Doll and Jack, were my most important partners in my favorite outdoor activity. I don’t need another human to go bird hunting, though sometimes that’s nice. But I can’t go hunting without a bird dog. Even if I stumble upon a pheasant or two, hunting without a dog just feels empty and pointless. I’m not interested.
Inevitably, your bird dog becomes one of your most important friends. That shared love of pursuing birds, being outdoors, and having someone who would never say, “Nah, I’m just gonna stay home today and work around the yard.”
You grow accustomed to having your dogs around and notice when they aren’t.
The nature of cats means you’ll never have that same sort of complexity in your relationship. Still, I’m fond of my cat, a black stray I saved as a kitten when she darted out in front of me on a busy street. She does sometimes go on trips with us but stays in the kennel in the truck while we hunt.
There’s one thing I can always count on from Laney. At about 5 a.m., she sits on the edge of my bed and stares at me, trying to will me awake so she can receive her morning treats.
This, before I get even a whiff of coffee.
It’s good to have the kids home.