When I read the list of additional subjects we could choose from, one topic really stood out: a family pet. My family’s dog, petey, is one of the stranger dogs. He is full of personality that people recognize the moment they first meet him. Everyone knew our dog would be unique the moment we got him, mainly because the way my family decided to get a pet.
When my brother was in 3rd grade, four years ago, he suffered from a bad case of anxiety, or so that is what we called it. He would get worked up about everything. He was a germ freak, got scared in storms, and panicked every time he had homework. The list goes on and on. It got so bad that when my parents were out of town my brother would have major breakdowns. This all sounds very serious, but, as the baby of the family, my and cousins and I like to think he exaggerated the whole thing. To his defense, though, he did have a problem. After visiting a psychiatrist a few times, the doctor mentioned that getting a dog might help. A dog would give my brother a companion, and it would give my brother something to care for and spend time with when he was anxious. This little idea floated around the house for a month or so, and our family got excited about the idea of dog. Well, everyone was excited except for my mom because she knew she would have to take care of it.
One day out of nowhere I get a call from my mom I got a call from my mom and all she said in the voicemail was, “hey, we got a dog. Its name is petey.” I was shocked. I thought they were going to the pet store just to entertain my brother. Little did I know there would be an addition to the family. As the story goes, my family had no choice but to get the dog. First off, the dog is named after Stinky Pete from Toy Story. Ironically, that was my brother’s nickname as a kid because he loved Toy Story. Petey’s birthday is March 12th, the same day as my brothers. We didn’t have a choice but to get him.
Little did we know that this pet would have a ton of personality and quirky traits that fits our family perfectly. Petey is a lhasa apso who for some reason thinks he is a guard dog, even though he is one small dog. At night, he will stand in front of the door and bark at everything that goes by, which usually includes his reflection as he walks by the door. It is very funny to watch him think he is an alpha dog. His quirkiest thing is what he does with his treats. Unlike normal dogs, Petey and treats do not go well together. When we give him one, he will carry it in his mouth and cry uncontrollably and wander around the house to find the perfect place to hide it. It is bizarre and very funny to watch.
Like our family, Petey enjoys relaxing all day and does not enjoy the outdoors. During the day, Petey sits on top of our couch in our sunroom and lays looking out the large windows. Although this sounds like a normal dog, he lays differently than most. He lies on his back the whole day with his four paws dangling in the air. I’ve never seen a dog look more comfortable. Then, when it is time to get outside, he is very picky about the weather. If it is raining, windy, or anything except sunshine, he will not think about leaving the doorsteps. He will just gaze out into the yard and decide the weather is not for him and wander back inside and most likely find a spot in the house to go to the bathroom that is in some dark corner away from everything. This is partly our fault because we never trained him. He is for the most part potty trained but if you tell him to heel, sit or anything, he will just stare at you, probably laughing in the inside. He, also, spent the first 2 years of his life with a leash on at all times. It’s not that we took him on walks a lot, but rather, it was just easier to catch him with the leash on. Lucky for him, he has graduated from the leash and roams the house freely, usually right by my mom’s feet. There is no denying that his favorite person in the family is she. It’s hard to find a time when my mom and the dog are separated. When he is not around her, he is causing some trouble around the house or running endlessly around the dining room table trying to get away from my dad or one of the kids or sometimes he is trying to escape an imaginary thing. I guess he is not as tough as he thought.
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