Pepper
I first saw her on a shared video from her previous human owner. I admit that it wasn’t love at first sight. A dog with long rabbit ears and super black hair just doesn’t evoke cute sentiments inside me. I saw more photos of her after that and the effect was still the same. Perhaps she wasn’t as photogenic as other dogs I see online?
Weeks after learning that she was going to my home after all, I found myself wondering whether I was prepared for her. A dog is not just a pet, but is a commitment. Given that I already have so much on my plate right now, I was hesitant about receiving her.
When she turned 3 months old, her human pushed for her immediate turnover. I remember taking deep breaths and dragging my feet on her shipping papers until an incident that showed her sensitivity and potential high animal emotional quotient made me pivot and open my heart to her. I just knew it was best for her to be with us.
Getting her papers for the shipment took less than a week. And then one morning, I drove to the airport at 6 a.m. to pick her up. After a long wait at the releasing area, the cargo wagon rolled in with a noisy passenger: It was Pepper sounding a bit under stress (probably from taking two flights overnight). Meeting her face to face, it still did not feel like love at first sight. She was in a soiled diaper and barking ceaselessly. All this changed when they moved her carrier into the back seat of my car. Pepper gradually settled down behind me and remained still and quiet on the long drive from the airport to our home. For a while, I thought I even heard her snore as she took a nap during the drive home.
The day that she came home for the first time, I decided to try my hand at puppy training using dog treats. Start them young because “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” <wink> In less than 10 minutes, Pepper could take the sitting position when prompted to “Sit.” This became a daily motivation and I now look forward to coming home to watch her sit and take the treats from my hand. It’s been a week since we met and we’ve been able to play with her toys after dinner. I can go on and on about Pepper and gush about the many little things she is able to do now. The best part of my nights now include getting doggy hugs and watching her sleep. Pepper is like most dogs who demonstrate their appreciation and love for their human caretakers. (Unlike some narcissistic partners who only suck you dry emotionally, betray you repeatedly, and gaslight you when they play victim. Ouch!) That kind of doggy reciprocation is enough to melt even the coldest heart. Awww– someone’s in love!