issue BEHIND EVERY STRONG PERS IS A GREAT DOGreluctantly yours Or Just Call Me Dog Mommy Part It by Rin bern «sare need ogo Pet Smare”Tsighed. After subjecting aputt vo wack of pleading, 4 acquesced to my fiancé Danie’ plesding that we adapt a young Weimaraner Within hours after 1 realized that my formesty very firong antzpup argument had disolved ino dust end ton cwept way fo god, the deal was done, Sudéenly Teens the proud companion of an adopted one yea old Wismeraner Jot call me Dog Mommy he frat days of newfound Wein motherhood were seating, haves looked nto it hut someone ot 0 wire en adice column on “What Expect When You're epecting a Dog” How could now in advance what 0 ee our pir of dress highheels dexzayed? check Pilfeed garg can with its of last ght aco let var cen gut te lo"? Yop vraional indoor acidens when Dog tony filed totake puppy tothe cub? Abeslrely ‘Undying deverion and loyalty? Ia spades Tins prepared for the mess that a one-year old dog oul neue, What T wasn't wholly prepared for was the sverwielning affection the litle rascal would produce Triggen at we came to call him, never as enough Kiss ess niger or bedtime cuddles, Suffering fom more than ouch dent eri this sity ane pound fllow i toned he's a lap dog: Absurd a i sounds, Tigger is thant content only when he has alms omplete bodily ontact with me, o with ayone else! Which brings up anather “what ro expec.” What shoulda person expect when she's not the only apple in er fiancé’ aye? 1 pretty had to compete with anoth- tc deop love Tet alone a grey, airy guy who'sorich he sreoption of couple of minor surgical modifications Biologically a Boy. Toitially, Trigger was a novelty, Daniel would come home and yell, “Trigges” before shouting, my name. 6 Loncoameydog Understandable, but when I heard plans like, “maybe tonight I'll just stay home and hang out with Triggen” 1 didu’e get mad, 1 got jeslous, Our time together turned into our time, meaning a threesome instead of the duo 1 fondly imagined. ‘More problems arose when Daniel went out of town. 1 met up in town with Friends. Two bites into my hors: Sceuvees, U suddenly realized I'd forgotten Trigger, wait ing for me to come home! Dying tobe let out! What can [ say? After twenty-four years of barely taking time to Took after myself; it was hard to remember T was in charge of another helpless creature's comfort. Racing yhome on my bike, I made it justin time to prevent a pud- dle, My deep feelings of guilt, however, left me bereft. Becoming a Deg Mommy instantly made me stand up straighter and realize 1 was an adult, The feeling of responsibility was alarming, but also exhilarating, This hugely energetic, epically affectionate grey-baired beauty needed me! Me, the gis! who, at sixteen, drove her dad's vintage British Racing Green Triumph TR3 into a fence! Me, the girl who used fabric softener instead of detergent in her laundry for a month straight! And that was only. last month! Me, this girl, was responsible for the care and feeding of an animal companion, « living breathing being, totally dependent on her! It was obvious I had to shape up or ship out—and fast. I chose the former. ‘Today 1 don’t consider myself one of those “crazy dog people.” I don’t wheel Trigger around in a canine baby stroller, I haven't made any Shrinky Dink broaches of Wiemeraners lately, and I definitely won't be including, my dog in my upcoming wedding ceremony. Ut, ecca- sionally, 1 have found myself relaying to friends the lav test "Trigger stories'—perhaps, from their point of view, ‘ad nauseam. 1 do, on raze occasions, find myself calling ‘him “Twiggy Wiggy.” I confess to letting him sleep next to me in bed ‘What's more, 've come to understand that loving dog ‘companion is neither a threat to one's autonomy, nor a fife-alsering burden, but rather a powerful reminder of the incredible diversity in the world around us. 1 see Things differently now that I companion a dog. 1 find ‘myself outdoors more often then T used to be, I've come to notice squirrels jumping on power lines outside my porch, not to mention the bird who breaks into song, loudly, at 6.05 every weekend morning. T'm continually reminded chat we humans aren't the only ones on this earth, not the first and with eny Inek. hhot the last, And all because I’m Trigger's human com- panion, If that makes me a Bog Mommy, 20 be it. Cal me hat you will. Ae my grandfather always said, call me anything you want, just don't call me late for dinner. ‘Trigger agrees with me completely on that one!Measuring Eobal warming. 3 Ries: Sio en Fevoneko uN vogte nos important science labs. _ The South may be the diabetes belt, but it’s one belt that i fe g We < : , \Peliteldelelgeteer pies