Everything I Ever Wanted

This dog is rocking my world.

So, when I decided I wanted to get a dog, there were three main reasons: 1). to have a running buddy 2). companionship 3). watch dog. Then I heard about Clarisse and once I met her, there was no question that she was coming home with me. I loved her instantly so much that it was no big deal to compromise on some things. Then I got to know her.

She is an epic companion. So ridiculously cute, joyful and has the most dramatic flare imaginable (When she is super happy, she covers her face with her front paws then head buts me). She has also learned that playing peek-a-boo with me makes me laugh and does it when she senses I am feeling down. She is the most epic companion I could have hoped for and she and hubby love each other too.

One day hubs came home while we were playing. He parked down the street and she didn't hear his car in the driveway. As soon as she heard someone messing with the doorknob, she was barking and headed for the door. Another night, I realized after she went to bed that I had forgotten something in the car. I think I woke her up when I was headed outside, but when my hand touched that doorknob on the way back in, she barked like crazy until I told her it was me. She can't see, but she is able to process auditory data more efficiently with no visual data slowing it down. She is an good watch dog.

She had never worn a leash before, but the first day she was with me, she leash trained in five minutes. Poodle smarts I guess. She has been getting more and more confident on walks as she learns that I am watching out for her. On our walk out, I walk ahead and move anything in the way. We practice our commands ("oop!" to swerve, "this way" while using harness pressure to move from the edge of the sidewalk if there is, say, a bunch of bushes overgrown). She improves every day.

Then one day, we were walking and I was talking with her. She was really happy and smelling all the things. Out of nowhere she took off running toward me. I thought she was trying to catch up, but she kept going. We ended up getting a (super careful) short jog in. It was a light jog for me, but she was just running like the wind with her little legs. I was jogging backwards/sideways to make sure we weren't going to run into anything. This was a path I have run barefoot on for years, so I know every crack in the sidewalk. As I always do, I let her set pace, decide when we need to sniff leaves and when it is time to come home. She was tired when we got home, but not too tired for the crazy cuddles. Since then, we've gone on more short jogs and we play chase in the yard or at the dog park. I clap my hands or tap my thighs while I run and she follows the sound. Eventually, I stop and let her catch me, but not before we both get our heart rates up a little.

People say I'm doing something special by taking in the poor blind dear, but she is the most perfect dog. In every single way, I can't imagine how she could be a more perfect fit in my life. I got everything I wanted in a dog, and she is already potty trained and doesn't chew things! One would never assume to get a running buddy when they adopt a blind toy poodle. Of course, we won't be running marathons together, but here she is living this vibrant life and the blindness doesn't matter.