Avoiding the Don-Don

On Saturday, November 11, 2023, we were at a pet shop.

Actually, we had been at the pet shop the week before that, and the week before that as well.
The purpose was, yes, a dog.

I want to own a dog so much that I dream about it.
Of course, the reason I want to own a dog is because they are cute and I want to adore them.
And actually, it is also to divert my husband and son's attention away from me.

The men in my house are attention seekers.
Every time they pass behind me, they touch my Siri.
They try to make me prepare food for them at every opportunity.

When I ask for the reason,
they say things like because there is a cute butt there,
or that food prepared by mom tastes better,
well, they just say whatever comes to mind.

It is not that I dislike it.

Sometimes I think they are cute.
But, when it goes too far, it is nothing but a hassle.

If I were to say it openly and shamelessly in public,
I am the idol of my household.

However, I am already 43 years old.
I want to gently put down the ladle in the kitchen.
No, it is not that I want to retire completely.
I just want them to do things for themselves, and I want them to leave me alone to some extent.

So, the short-sighted me thought of the arrival of a new idol.

Yes, a dog.

I strategically hinted that I wanted a dog.
Of course, it would be a lie if I said I didn't want to own a dog, so please understand that this is my true feeling.

I put my husband in a state of mind where he wanted to own a dog, and showed him a dog at the pet shop.
They are cute. Dogs are.
Of course he would want to own one.

My plan succeeded, and on one of our visits to the pet shop, my husband fell in love at first sight with a Chihuahua mix. With panda-like coloring and large, slightly wide-set eyes. Holding the tiny, tiny dog, he seemed to want to own it.

To gauge how serious he was, I decided to leave the topic of the dog alone for a week.
I decided that if he voluntarily said, 'Let's go get a dog,' I would buy it.
This cannot be led by me.
It must be led by him.

It was Wednesday.
He asked about my plans for Saturday.
I replied, 'I don't have any particular plans.'
He said,

'Let's go to the pet shop.'

It goes without saying that I did a victory pose in my heart.

And so, on the coming November 11th,
we eagerly went to the pet shop.

The Chin-Chiwa he fell in love with at first sight was sleeping in the display case.
We decided to take a look around first, so we walked around the pet shop.

Toy Poodles, Chihuahuas, Miniature Dachshunds, Shiba Inus, and others were in the display cases.
And there, in the corner, was a white Maltipoo.
The price was an exceptional 10,000 yen. The initial costs were half the usual amount.

Huh?
Why is it so cheap?

I asked the clerk who approached us.
"Why is this puppy so cheap?"
The clerk replied.
"They aren't very popular if they grow too big."
That's what they said.

Even though it's cute?
Huh? Why?

Isn't it sad that it's a leftover?
Besides, isn't it a great deal that it's cheap?
The Chin-Chiwa costs 300,000 yen, but the white Maltipoo is 50,000 yen.
All the vaccinations are done, too. And it's so fluffy.
Fluffiness is justice.

My husband was looking at the one he fell in love with and the others, but I asked the clerk,
"Which one sheds less, the Chin-Chiwa or the Maltipoo?"
"The single-coated Maltipoo."

I asked my husband, "What do you think?"
"Either one is fine," my husband replied.

I asked the clerk further.
"Is the Maltipoo easy to keep?"
"Yes, it's easy. This one is energetic, eats well, and there are no problems at all."

Alright. It's the Maltipoo.

And so, we brought him home that day. An immediate decision. Once I set my mind to something, I go straight for it.

A male Maltipoo, born June 4th, 5 months old.

Since the vaccinations and registration are all taken care of, they said he can go for walks as soon as he gets used to things.
It's been four days, and there are no problems with his eating or bowel movements, and he doesn't bark except when he wants food or to play. He's used to the cage and can stay home alone.
Perhaps the pet shop staff took very good care of him.

There are challenges like nipping and potty training, but that's our issue too, not just the dog's.
We'll just have him get used to our home gradually and solve them.

An idol is born.

When I told my mother the story of how we came to welcome a dog into our home, my talkative mother seems to have passed it on exactly as it was to a dog lover she knows.
If there are no particular issues, family stories become perfect fodder for talkative parents.

According to that dog lover,
at pet shops, once a dog passes six months old, in some cases, it might be sent to a public health center or used for experiments.

"Your daughter's family might be that puppy's lifesavers."

That is what they said.
Hearing that, I felt like my heart was being crushed.

The dog that cost 10,000 yen was not the only one like that.
I pray from the bottom of my heart that those dogs find families.