New beginnings

I have always loved animals, particularly dogs. When I was younger most of my free time was spent in the backyard teaching my dogs tricks, or taking them to the dog park. My friends' parents would hire me to train their dogs, I would labor over hand made dog clothes, and I spent almost every dollar I had on dog toys.

Then I grew up. I got married. I became a stepmother. I got pregnant and had my own child. I still like dogs, but they have been relegated to spending almost all of their time in the backyard. I have been buying cheap dog food and never take them for walks. Recently I shamefully realized that my favorite dog, a Dogue de Bordeaux named Bowser, that I have had since he was a tiny puppy, is almost two years old... and he doesn't even know how to sit on command.

Becoming a wife and a mother takes a lot out of you. I have been spiraling in an angry depression. As I write this, I have no friends outside of my husband and mother, and I haven't talked to anybody that wasn't family or a store clerk in almost a month. All of my hobbies have been put on the backburner for so long that I can't even remember what I liked to do.

A few days ago, I watched one of those court TV shows... a guilty pleasure when I am at my mother's house. At the end of the show, the judge dispensed her advice. She said "Don't just let life happen to you. Decide to decide." Those words hit me right in the heart. I realized in that single instance that I had been letting life happen to me. I have not been in control of anything for far too long. I've been complaining and miserably unhappy, bored and lonely, feeling used up and spit out... but not doing a thing to change it.

I realized that what I needed more than anything was a hobby. I needed something I could take pride in, something social to do, and something that allowed me to become my own person again. After a lot of thought, I decided I would transform my yard dog into a respectable show dog, and in the process I would learn a lot and meet a lot of people with similar interests. As I go along, I'll update this blog to share my experiences with others.