10. Welcome to (doggie) Fatherhood
Getting a new dog is not very more interesting than that. You picture how this day will be, driving home a lovely and cuddly puppy in your automobile. For this man, the day was not quite as he had hoped when, right on his shirt, the dog began to show some symptoms shortly into the drive home and ended up vomiting all over him. He does not seem particularly joyful. The puppy seems not to realize what he did wrong. He cannot grasp what the problem could be in his adorable small head; now, since he has thrown up, he is feeling better.
For weeks our protagonist had dreamed about this moment bringing his new furry best buddy home. He had everything ready: a nice bed, lots of toys, even a small collar bearing a name tag. The sudden immersion into pet fatherhood he was about to experience on the car trip home had not been planned. Man and pup, the enthusiasm was obvious as they headed off. Already seeing walks in the park and comfortable afternoons on the couch, our new puppy dad was thinking But his new puppy had other ideas. Whether it was the excitement, motion sickness, or maybe a last act of defiance against leaving the shelter, the puppy chose to redecorate dad’s shirt with the contents of his stomach. The man’s expression combines disdain, disbelief, and the dawning awareness that his life has permanently altered. Captured for posterity, this scene perfectly captures the pleasures and challenges of pet ownership as the puppy, blissfully ignorant of the faux pass sits there with a look that seems to say, “Hey, I feel much better now! Isn’t this fun?” It reminds us that sometimes the road to a lifetime bond begins with a decent washing detergent and that love frequently carries unanticipated messes. As our new dog dad discovers, for every wonderful moment spent with a puppy, there is equally unforgettable—if less Instagram-worthy—one just around the corner.