Five Years Later

Three states later, here we are just me and Syd sitting on the couch on a Friday evening he is curled up quietly in a little ball on my left side fast asleep. It's incredible how so much has changed over the last few years and how he has mellowed out. Syd turned five in August and although people still ask me if he's two at the dog park when he's hopping around I can tell he's starting to slow down. I never thought I would see the day where I had to pry him out of bed at 5:30 AM. for his morning walk. Can't believe my baby is in his thirties and he's starting to gray! Three states later we ended up in the District of Columbia. Syd was born in Florida, grew up in South Carolina and moved with me to Fredericksburg to live at home for a year. The last two years we have been living in DC. When we first moved up here we were living in Van Ness with my college roommate, the three of us in a 700 square foot apartment with one bedroom. Technically you weren't supposed to have dogs, but I got a special note saying Sydney was a "Service Animal" and I needed him for anxiety. I would get stares in the hallways of this nice apartment building with people trying to figure out what was wrong with me and why I was allowed to have a big dog. Van Ness was great while it lasted, but two girls and a large dog in a tiny shoebox of an apartment got old VERY quick. In August of 2012 we finally moved into our row house in Shaw. We have gotten very comfortable here as you can see Syd above in our kitchen waiting for his dinner. I love it here! Its quiet, there's plenty of space for Syd to romp around in the house, there are three dog parks nearby and plenty of patches of grass!
Its been a good run so far, but New York City is next in the cards. It will be interesting to see how an easily stimulated Syd does in a somewhat overwhelming city.

To Exercise or Not to Exercise? There is No Question!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/forget-the-treadmill-get-a-dog/?src=me&ref=general

I happened to stumble upon this article while glancing at the New York Times. The picture immediately caught my attention. An article about exercise, go figure there's a picture of a Vizsla as the headline. I have to say I agree with this article if I didn't have Sydney I wouldn't exercise half as much. A dog really does get their owner moving!

After graduating college, sports ended and I no longer trekked to class I wasn't very motivated to go outside and run. To add to this lack of energy and enthusiasm to exercise I started an 8-5. I forced myself to get Sydney on a work-out schedule. Vizslas are a very active breed and it would be unfair to keep him locked upstairs all day. Every morning, I pry myself out of bed half an hour early to take him on his morning walk. When lunchtime roles around I devote 30 minutes of my hour long lunch break to either playing fetch or taking him on a lengthy walk. After work he barely gives me enough time to change into my exercise attire before he is scratching at the door or grabbing a pillow off the couch. He will try any number of tricks to get my attention and warn me its time for his daily dose of exercise. When it comes down to being fit and devoting a minimum of 30 minutes a day to cardio I owe it to Syd for getting me out, rain or shine!

A Girl's Best Friend

Exactly 1 year, 22 days, 16 hours, and 17 minutes ago I committed to getting a dog. Not just any dog, a Vizsla. Ever since day three, when it became very apparent Sydney was settled into his new home, he was a ball of energy. There was no in between, Sydney went from 100 to 0. He was either wide awake, or dead asleep and when he was awake he needed constant attention. Leaving Sydney unattended was like gambling, you were taking a huge risk and majority of the time you'd end up with a major loss. He always found a way to get into trouble. One instant in particular comes to mind. I was gone for a test and felt bad locking Syd in his crate for over three hours so I left him in my room. After being in a test for hours on end straining my brain I was thoroughly exhausted. The thought of taking Sydney on a long walk seemed like torture, but what I came home to was much worse. My room was transformed into a war zone. It looked as if a tornado had hit and then a blizzard. The paper from the printer was everywhere, my sheets had a gaping hole, and my mattress pad was mangled into a million little pieces. There was not an inch of floor left exposed. My entire room was covered and Syd was sprawled out on my bed as if nothing had ever happened.

Sydney is now a year and 3 months and not much has changed! He needs constant supervision. If he's left unattended you can find him chewing on anything from the living room furniture to my baby blanket. I admit that he is a handful and overwhelming at times, but thats just who he is. He's my my boyfriend, my voice of reason, my glimmer of hope, and most of all my very best friend. When I'm upset he's there to comfort me, when I'm scared he's there to protect me, when I'm lonely he's there to provide companionship. I didn't realize how much work having a Vizsla truly would be, but I mad a commitment. And unlike other recent grads who decided to give their dogs away or leave them with their parents, for me its different. I would never dream of living without Syd. I will make sure that wherever life takes me, or whatever career path I choose I will find a way to make it work having Syd.

I never thought at the ripe age of 22 I would take on any responsibility similar to having a child, or any responsibility at all!!

Having a dog is definitely a life changing experience. Instead of being woken up by a crying baby every morning I am greeted by a rustling of the covers and a 52 pound nuisance scratching at the door.

I never understood how people could fall head over heels for something that caused so much stress and required so much energy. I am quickly starting to understand.

Even though our backyard is an 18 hole golf course, and every shoe I own has a chunk taken out of it. I realize it is all worth it in the end.

After another energy filled day I glanced over to see Sydney sleeping on my sisters bed and realized life would be so boring without him.

After packing three tired, grouchy females into a tiny Volvo sedan my mom, my sister, and I embarked on a life altering journey. After no sleep and a seven hour drive under our belt the moment of truth finally arrived. Looking into the large concrete pen there stood the very last Vizsla gazing back at me with a perplexed stare. My online shopping sprees in hopes of tracking down the perfect Vizsla were over. On October 10, 2009 the dream of picking out a rust colored soul mate became a reality; a reality that would rapidly fade into an unromantic partnership.

To say that Sydney is a stage five clinger is an understatement. His name is most likely listed under nuisance in the dictionary. Whether I’m showering, using the toilet, brushing my teeth, or merely doing homework at my desk my trusty companion is always in tow. Sleeping in and lounging around are a thing of the past. Peace and quiet is no longer an option! The cute antics and spastic perks I once believed were temporary habits have now become permanent aspects of his personality.

Every day begins with Syd and every night ends with Syd. It’s an adventure that cannot be avoided. I am along for the ride and there’s no turning back!!