Depression Talk

Five years ago, my family set out on a trek to find the perfect dog. We managed to find a breeder who deals with the perfect breed (that being German Shorthaired Pointers) but instead of giving us the perfect dog, he gave us Kami.

Now, before I go on, I have to say that Kami really is a wonderful dog. I love her to death, and she is sweet and generally well-behaved. She doesn’t pee on the floor and deals well with children. Mostly. He exhuberance typically leaves them laying on the floor shrieking while she wiggles and leaps and jumps and looks confused as to why her thirty-eight foot long legs have sent them sprawled across the floor.

I now work at a group home, and the owner encourages staff to bring their pets to work. Kami is a dog who is desperate for any and all human contact; she has a need to be physically on top of people whenever possible. Spending ten minutes brushing her sends her into spasms of bliss that most heroin addicts would kill for.

I was thrilled with how affectionate each of the kids was with Kami. They were all patient and kind as she wandered around the house sniffing them out. A couple of them played fetch with her for a good hour or so; she got to come to the park with us; and at the end of the night, one of the boys convinced her to climb on the couch and cuddle while watching TV.

Yesterday I was getting ready to go to work and Kami was acting odd. She followed me around the house wagging her tail and cocking her ears at me expectantly. She tried to scoot out the door with me and glared at me with sadness that would make the Taliban wince as I left without her.

By the time I got home, Kami was in a state. She followed me about the house, stared at me all night long, and laid with her head in my lap whining while I watched TV.

And now I feel a little bit guilty because I see how good her time with the kids really was. I see how much she loved going, how wonderful she was with the kids.

And I’m thinking, do I want to bring her back again because it is good for the kids, or because it is good for the dog?

And in the end, should I even care? That the kids get an afternoon of excitement or that the dog gets an afternoon of attention and happiness? Its kind of a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.

Oh, how I love a win-win situation.