Tag Archives: irishdoodle

Swipe Right for Puppy Love

It’s been over a decade since I’ve been on a date or even entertained the remote notion of glancing at a dating app. Tucked into my Floridian solitude like the lone survivor of some catastrophic ELE, I’ve made my peace with the silence, introspective overload, and general patterns of a “desert island” day-to-day.

But maybe Dax feels differently.

Perhaps there is a wider, more colorful, and more rewarding world waiting just outside our clearly demarcated comfort zone.

I worry about his increasing reactivity and the “constantly on duty” burden he seems to bear as soon as we’re three feet from the front door. He’s very energetic, and that prodigious Irish Setter prey instinct runs in his blood. So I try to empathize with his insatiable need to pull, run, sniff, and explore. But maybe some consistent canine companionship would help quell some of that manic “enthusiasm.”

Plus, the idea of building a like-minded community here in Tampa is not without value or merit. My nutso, overthinking, and animal-obsessed vegan brain could probably benefit from meeting others who prefer to read from similar pages. There’s only so much annoying lecturing one can do in an empty room.

So I dipped my partially inflated floaties into the kiddie pool of this alleged modern miracle of human connection, explicitly stating that my primary goal is finding a best bud for my best bud.

I’m no easy dance partner, and the odds might be heavily stacked against me magically discovering folks who check those narrowly drawn boxes. But I was fairly detailed in my bio and, in true Schuyler style, happily placed my cards on the table…even the ones normally reserved for my sleeve.

Luckily, Dax is so damn handsome and naturally magnetic that dropping him center stage just might be a recipe for success in this crazy snake pit.

Time to get swiping. Yikes.

Adolescence Interrupted

…and stop killing animals.

My Dog Is the Reason I Keep Going

Life is a treadmill run. A hamster wheel sprint. Boxes to check. Items to cross out. Duties to finish. Obligations to fulfill. Appointments to schedule. Tasks to accomplish. Habits to maintain.

Commitments. Responsibilities. Itineraries. Pointless repetition without real purpose. Ceaseless pressure to be productive. A self-generated tinnitus-causing crack of a constantly snapping whip refusing to rest.

For someone with that rare combination of being both tetherless and rudderless, this modern world is an impossibly burdensome weight to manage.

Shoulders can only struggle and labor under a load of stacked resistance for so long before they start shaking.

Until you get a dog.

The realization that things were indeed darkest before the dawn feels too poetic to be fact and not fiction. But the arrival of a truly selfless soul with the primary imperative to simply love and be loved is authentic and grounded.

All the clichés, memes, and T-shirts were right all along. Who knew?

Vastly superior to humans in myriad ways, these canine companions are here to teach us more than we thought we needed to know…and to allow personal growth to take shape, regardless of how much we resist against the grain.

They are the world’s best listeners and perfect partners, armed with a finely tuned radar for our pain…and bottomless patience for our delays. They’re watching us when we think they’re asleep and waiting for every opportunity to connect. They are honest, forgiving, tolerant, loyal, hopeful, eager, dependable, and genuine.

Always up for an adventure, they jump at the chance to hop in the car and drive all day without a destination…and find delight in even the most mundane things. A simple walk is a constant cause for celebration. A special biscuit is an impossibly precious reward.

Any time together is time well spent.

You are their leader, protector, and very best friend.

Sometimes there isn’t much of a reason to keep grinding along.

Until you get a dog.

Adolescence Interrupted