08/22/2026
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You had a picture in your head.
Maybe before they even came home.
The dog who'd go everywhere with you.
Those beach trips.
Those dog events in town.
Coffee somewhere in town on a Sunday morning while you read the paper.
Friends bringing their dogs over and they’ll play.
Going on those trips and holidays together.
Taking them to family gatherings and BBQ’s where they would eat up all the dropped bits.
This isn’t what you imagined.
You certainly didn't picture planning what time you leave the house because there might be another dog outside.
Or checking who's at the field before getting out of the car.
You didn't imagine asking visitors to text before they arrive or tell them you’ll meet them outside first.
You didn't ever expect you’d ever have to know which streets have the widest footpaths, but you have a whole map in your mind you never thought you’d need.
But somewhere along the way, the picture you wanted once changed.
Not because you stopped trying, heck no!
You have training skills now you never thought you’d ever need.
There was so much to learn.
Actually, you never really thought you could know so much about one dog.
And it certainly isn’t because you stopped loving them.
You just started learning what this magnificent dog in front of you actually needs.
The café didn't matter as much as you thought it would.
That busy beach can wait, and if you’re honest it’s freeing letting him run and leap about without always being “on guard”.
They didn't need twenty dog friends either. Only one or two that he knows and enjoys.
Sometimes the quiet track at that odd time of day is actually pretty lovely. The birds, the sun and wind.
And slowly, you stopped measuring your life together against the one you'd imagined before.
Because there's something rather wonderful about finally letting a dog be the dog they are.
Not the dog you planned.
The dog you have.
Will it be different again in the future?
Maybe.
Who knows.
But right now.
Today?
There is love and trust.
Everyone else can keep their “perfect dog”.
Perfect is exactly what you have.
