Hi everyone, I'm writing this very sad :( I'm having to take Mack back tomorrow. I feel one part responsible, one part failure, and a whole lot of heart broken.
Mack came home 8 days ago. The cutest puppy ever. He settled in the first day, you all saw how I was praising him on his leash! Unfortunatly, his owner had a rougher go at it.
Hopefully you all saw how much I researched this. I spent a year thinking about a dog, and six months looking into a boxer. Never owning a dog, i've learned there are some things 'research' alone can't provide, that only experience can.
I was totally unprepared for just how much care he would need. Not just 'need' but deserve. It is more than just the sleep but the constant attention, care and training so he can grow into the dashing boy he can be.
I thought my schedule would permit me having a dog. And over the past 18 months it would have. But I'm a youth pastor and the past 18 months we've not had a building for our Jr. High, so we've been in maintenance mode. Last monday we got our new building, now I get to take my passion and BUILD. My mistake in this, and part of the reason I feel so horrible and heart broken, is that I looked at owning a puppy in light of the past 18 months of busyness...not what my life is like when I can fully live out my passion for my job.
last week, as that started again, he was crated while I was at work, except for lunch, then in the car while I went to meetings at night. That life is not what he deserves :(
On top of which, my apartment raised rent again, over $200 and so, at the age of 28, I have to humbly move back home. My goals of getting a condo will never happen if I continue to poor rent money out. Which means a new puppy for my parents too is simply not fair to them.
Simply put, i'm facing some pretty major life changes, moving home, ministry outlook etc. Some I could not have predicted, thats life I suppose. Others, hindsite being 20/20 I feel I should have predicted.
Last night I taught Mack to sit. I'm looking at his toys, his face, and realizing tomorrow he won't be with me anymore, and I want to cry. But I know too, that tomorrow starts the journey for him to be with a family that can give him the love and attention he deserves, and that hopefully I played a small role in his life to raise him into the amazing boy he can be.
A boxer is in my future, but when I am more established and life is more predictable. Until then, I'll always look at Mack as my eternal puppy, hoping I showed him for this short time half the love he showed me.
I apologize to you all for spending your time answering questions, to have it turn out this way. i feel like i let a lot of people down, but I know this is the right choice for him, AND me, allowing me to focus on things I need to deal with.
What a wonderufl, life changing puppy Mack is, if even for a short time.
Mack came home 8 days ago. The cutest puppy ever. He settled in the first day, you all saw how I was praising him on his leash! Unfortunatly, his owner had a rougher go at it.
Hopefully you all saw how much I researched this. I spent a year thinking about a dog, and six months looking into a boxer. Never owning a dog, i've learned there are some things 'research' alone can't provide, that only experience can.
I was totally unprepared for just how much care he would need. Not just 'need' but deserve. It is more than just the sleep but the constant attention, care and training so he can grow into the dashing boy he can be.
I thought my schedule would permit me having a dog. And over the past 18 months it would have. But I'm a youth pastor and the past 18 months we've not had a building for our Jr. High, so we've been in maintenance mode. Last monday we got our new building, now I get to take my passion and BUILD. My mistake in this, and part of the reason I feel so horrible and heart broken, is that I looked at owning a puppy in light of the past 18 months of busyness...not what my life is like when I can fully live out my passion for my job.
last week, as that started again, he was crated while I was at work, except for lunch, then in the car while I went to meetings at night. That life is not what he deserves :(
On top of which, my apartment raised rent again, over $200 and so, at the age of 28, I have to humbly move back home. My goals of getting a condo will never happen if I continue to poor rent money out. Which means a new puppy for my parents too is simply not fair to them.
Simply put, i'm facing some pretty major life changes, moving home, ministry outlook etc. Some I could not have predicted, thats life I suppose. Others, hindsite being 20/20 I feel I should have predicted.
Last night I taught Mack to sit. I'm looking at his toys, his face, and realizing tomorrow he won't be with me anymore, and I want to cry. But I know too, that tomorrow starts the journey for him to be with a family that can give him the love and attention he deserves, and that hopefully I played a small role in his life to raise him into the amazing boy he can be.
A boxer is in my future, but when I am more established and life is more predictable. Until then, I'll always look at Mack as my eternal puppy, hoping I showed him for this short time half the love he showed me.
I apologize to you all for spending your time answering questions, to have it turn out this way. i feel like i let a lot of people down, but I know this is the right choice for him, AND me, allowing me to focus on things I need to deal with.
What a wonderufl, life changing puppy Mack is, if even for a short time.
Just so when he does it in the future he can be like "See what my first daddy taught me!"
