Hello Pablo

Everyone say hi to Pablo. Pablo is one wiggly hot mess of a puppy. Yep, he’s full grown, but the shelter thinks he’s around 1 year old. Pepe’s human owners couldn’t go for very long with just one dog around after Pembleton’s passing, so Pablo was there to greet me (by running in loping circles around our backyard) when I got home from working the Nameless Award Ceremony a few weeks ago.








This face is seriously adorable, and he lurves his tummy rubs, but Pablo has zippo training. So he has no knowledge of anything, like don’t bark at me when I enter the garage, hey, you’re supposed to pee OUTSIDE, no, I’m not letting you into the Shabby Shack, and perhaps the most important lesson of all – Pepe has definite boundaries, and he was here first, so you best be respecting his personal space, yo.

Training will come in time, as soon as we locate a reputable trainer, and certainly Pablo means well, he just wants to love you. ALL THE TIME.

But I’m very sensitive to Pepe, who just lost a brother (though it must be said that they tolerated each other, not that they were soulmates). So I want to make sure Pepe gets plenty of Amy Time where it’s just me and Pepe, the original Zen doggie. I want Pepe to know that I appreciate him and his Zen-ness, and don’t tell anyone, but he’s always been my favorite, and it’s me and Pepe, forever and ever, I love Pepe with his ear and a half (half an ear was chomped off when Pepe was a puppy at the shelter) and I appreciate him so so much and PABLO! GET OUT OF THE WAY, PABLO! THIS IS AMY AND PEPE TIME!

Pablo is all wiggly body and waggy tail and pet me pet me pet me, I saw you were petting this other dog, pet me tooooooooooooooooo! Here’s my tummy! Give me tummy rubs!!!!

It can be a chore to deal with this severely lovable dog. And Pepe’s just looking at me, a glance that can only be characterized as are you serious? This is what I’m dealing with for the rest of my life?

I know it’s trite and cliché to use yet ANOTHER dog metaphor, because I know I certainly think I’ve hit the upper limit of those, but it becomes so clear to me.

Pepe is God (Pepe would love to be considered as a higher form of power anyway) I’m me, and Pablo is the Distractions In My Life. When I’m trying so hard to get to Pepe, to spend time with Pepe, to reassure Pepe that he’s important to me, that he means the world to me, and if it could only be Pepe and Amy Together Forever, it would be great. But then Pablo keep busting onto the scene, drawing my focus and angering Pepe. And Pablo is adorable, and why wouldn’t I wanna spent time with this adorable adorable All I Want Is A Tummy Rub Pablo? And then I feel awful when I see Pepe giving me the most exasperated of looks. You’re gonna settle for that silly thing that hasn’t figured out to use the bathroom outside? Seriously?

So it’s up to me to discipline my time (but not discipline Pablo, we gotta get a trainer for that) so that Pepe (God) comes first, and Pablo (my stuff) comes second. I’m working on it, I really am.