I'M IN LOVE!!!

             

Yes, I’m madly, wildly and most happily in love with the new “man” in my life. Before I go on to sing his praises, I want to once again thank everyone who reached out to me when I blogged about how depressed I was. I did have a conversation with my doctor a few days later. Her opinion was that one of the reasons I became so depressed was my inability to go to sleep and/or stay asleep at night. She prescribed a low-dose anti-depressant for me to take at bedtime to help me go to sleep. It’s working out very well, and I’m so grateful to be able to get in bed and actually go to sleep. No serious side effects so far.

I broached the subject of getting a pet to my doctor as well. She indicated she thought it a good idea if that was what I really wanted, that having a living presence to cuddle and be with would definitely be a plus. So, several days later, I found Kuma on Washington State Puppies for Rehoming. I hadn’t definitely decided to get a puppy or a cat, but when I saw his little face, I knew I’d found my new companion.

As of today, I’ve had Kuma for an entire week. I certainly have no major complaints about him except for his puppy teeth and puppy nails. I’m working with him so he’ll stop trying to bite whatever part of me he can reach and think I’m making progress. I distract him with old clean rags I’ve tied into a knot and other purchased hard toys. I’m also working on having him sit instead of jumping up, but we have a way to go. On the couch, he jumps all over me and since it’s still shorts weather, my legs look as though I’ve walked through a briar patch.

To date, we have had no “accidents” in the house. I erected a small fence which the visiting coyote or raccoon knocked down and always take him to that area when it’s time to potty. This is working unbelievably well and I’m very glad I won’t be finding any “surprises” in my flowerbeds.

Kuma sleeps on my bed, originally on a fluffy pillow I’ve put in his crate. Now, he sleeps on a blanket on top of my duvet. The first night he got me up after 2:00 am. We went out, he peed, we got back in bed, and we both went right back to sleep. All the other nights except one, he is able to wait until almost 6:00 am. The one exception was Saturday night. I woke up and had to pee, so he did too. Then, he slept until after 9:00 am Sunday morning as did I. Here I thought my sleeping in days were over. Even though it isn’t a warm human that cuddles against my back or tummy, it feels wonderful to have Kuma snuggled up against me during the night.

Living out in the country, Kuma had no idea about planes or helicopters. Initially, they scared the heck out of him and he’d run to cower by me. Now, he looks at them with interest, and I wonder if he’s thinking they have to be the biggest bugs ever. Kuma also hasn’t been around traffic. I’m walking him around the neighborhood every day to accustom him to being on a leash as well as any traffic that comes along. I think his first experience on the busy street I usually walk will be very traumatic for him, especially when huge trucks fly by. That’s at least a week or more away and then we won’t walk too far for the first time.

Kuma is also very good about staying right with me. I worked out in the front yard a couple of different days and he never even tried to leave the driveway or yard. He would growl and bark at neighbors who walked by with their dogs, but he didn’t try to go after or chase. For the most part, he laid in the grass and watched me work. When he thought he’d been ignored long enough, he’d come over and get right in the middle of what I was doing and plop down; as if to say, “Hey, I need some loves.”

So far Kuma has met almost ten people and three dogs. He is friendly and acts happy to meet the new people and dogs. The first dog he met is smaller and she was too afraid to play. The second wanted to play and Kuma did interact well with him. I think if I’d stayed right there, they would have had a great play session. The third dog is larger and old. He suffered Kuma’s attentions, but his attitude was pretty much, “Don’t bother me. “, which was fine because he had two humans to keep him occupied.

When I leave and cannot take Kuma, he has to go in his crate. He also has to be in there while I do my exercises because he wants to “help” me. Initially, I ordered a new one, but did an ask on Buy Nothing and was able to save myself over $100…love Buy Nothing. Anyway, Kuma doesn’t like being in his crate. He yelps and cries as though his paw is being crushed. He doesn’t do it the entire time, just initially or at least that’s how he is while I’m exercising.

When I can take Kuma, he rides passenger. I tried putting him in the back, but he wasn’t having it and climbed in front. He lays quietly in the passenger seat and didn’t get out even when I stopped at Costco for gas. He just stayed there even though he couldn’t see me.

So, as you can tell, I am extremely happy with my new companion. Who knows, but maybe I can stop the anti-depressant at night before too long. That will be the top subject when I talk to my doctor the end of the month. Seriously, I really had no idea just how much Kaizer and Karma added to my well-being until they were both gone. Kuma’s totally different from them, but gives me the love and affection I’d been missing for the last six months.

So, my advice if you’re depressed, lonely, unhappy, think about getting a puppy!!! It’s certainly working for me.