We were not going to get a dog. Ever. It wasn’t a casual, “Hmm, maybe someday” situation. No, my husband and I were adamant. This was a full-blown, decades-in-the-making, mutual parenting pact. We were the kind of people who appreciated dogs…sometimes…from a distance. Preferably clean, quiet, and somewhere else.
But then came COVID. You know, that life changing event that turned us all into amateur whatever and turned us into dog owners.
It started innocently enough. Super Bowl Sunday. We had snacks. The TV was on. And while we were getting ready to watching grown men tackle each other, our fourth grader was completely enraptured by the Puppy Bowl. So much so that when it was over she laid the ground work by telling us in her cute voice, eyes wide, “I think… we need a dog. We may have smiled. Chuckled. “No,” we said in unison, like the experienced, dogless parents we were. “We don’t need a dog. It’s a big responsibility.”
She said nothing. She just went upstairs. We should have known something was coming…
The next morning, she asks for us to gather in the family room. Suspect. Then all of a sudden on our TV screen is a Powerpoint. On why we should get a dog. Slide 1: Photos of adorable puppies staring straight into our souls.
Slide 2: How she and her sister would take care of the dog, and then on it goes Slide 3, Slide 4, Slide 5… and to our shock and horror she’s convincing us. We were impressed. Terrified. And okay, moved. Who knew PowerPoint could hit so hard?
That night, we caved. Not because we were weak, but because somewhere between the puppy GIFs and emotional manipulation slides, we realized something: maybe we did have a dog-shaped hole in our hearts. Or at least a quarantine-sized void that only puppy kisses could fill.
Three weeks later, we met Mocha Latte (yes, we named him after a favorite beverage), a little ball of energy, of joy, and complete lifestyle upheaval.
So, to all the parents who swore they’d never get a dog—beware the power of the Puppy Bowl… and PowerPoint. Resistance is futile.
Moral of the story?
Never underestimate a determined child with time, internet access, and a sibling accomplice. And maybe… stock up puppy treats. You’re going to need them.