Summer Love with Shadow

           Amanda and Milo went to see Milo’s parents during the month long quarantine since Amanda had time off and Milo was working from home. They wanted to adopt a dog but Milo’s mom was allergic so they needed to find one that was hypoallergenic. It was tricky because a lot of shelters weren’t open during the quarantine.

           Milo managed to find an open one and made an appointment to see the dog. It was named Toto and looked black and white in the picture. Amanda wasn’t picky about the type or look of the dog; she was just interested in finding one.

           They left to go to the shelter, both wondering what they were getting themselves into.

           “Should we be doing this? It’s not hypoallergenic.” Milo wondered. They wanted a dog but they didn’t want to waste their time looking and possibly falling in love with a dog if they couldn’t take it home.

           “It doesn’t hurt to look,” she pointed out. They hadn’t said whether or not they were going home with a dog, but they wanted to see the dog and how it reacted to them.

           They got to the shelter and were led to the area where they were to meet the dog. They were a little nervous but also open to whatever happened.

           The dog was brought in to see them and pretty much immediately jumped into Milo’s lap. He was a cute dog, and friendly. Amanda petted him too and he seemed to like her as well. It didn’t take long or many questions for Milo to decide he wanted to take the dog. She saw no reason to argue so they told the shelter they were taking him and left with a few supplies, and a dog on a leash.

           In the car Amanda rode with Toto in the back. He was in her lap and arms the whole time, just looking around and enjoying the ride. She was happy to be holding a dog in her arms, and glad he didn’t bark or move around too much.

           They got to his parent’s house and let him sniff and run around. It was fun and cute to watch him explore and get used to his new surroundings. He tore through a few toys pretty quickly but they were able to find some that were good.

           It was a weird evening as she wasn’t used to having a dog around anymore, especially not this one.

           He slept in a crate the first night, staring at them as they slept. It seemed like he could see Amanda better than Milo and she stared back at him some. He was very cute but didn’t like being away from them, even though he could see them.

           The next few days were spent trying to figure out his quirks and potty training. They learned that he had a personality and was rather vocal. He didn’t bark a lot, but he had a lot to say. He tore through toys pretty fast and that was frustrating, trying to find something he liked that he wouldn’t tear apart in two seconds.

           Milo started back to work, which left Amanda to play with and take care of the dog. They’d gone through several names but finally settled on Shadow. It fit his looks and personality and the family agreed it was a good name. Amanda and Milo spent their free time playing with Shadow, learning about him, taking him to the pet store to find supplies, and enjoying his company and playfulness. He loved being with them and didn’t like it when they left his sight. He loved to play, both by himself, but mostly with someone. He liked tug of war and fetch, and sometimes he just ran around like crazy.

           They learned things they needed to train him to do, such as sit. He didn’t always like to listen but they kept trying and he would eventually follow instruction.

           He really didn’t like the pool. When they tried to get him to go in, he would bark and growl. It wasn’t in a mean way, but more that he was scared and wanted to go in but wouldn’t let himself. Milo was able to get him in one day, but Shadow protested and didn’t like it. He was smart and found the edge pretty quick, then got out. That was one thing they wanted him to know because if he fell in to that pool or another body of water, he would know to exit, and in this particular one, where the exit was. They worked and worked to get him to go in on his own, but he refused. He liked being with them when they were in the pool though and would run around it. They also would throw a ball so he would run and get it and have some play time too.

           He came up to Amanda one night and used her foot to play with his toy. His toy had sharp edges and it hurt when pressed into her. She tried to move him off but he was persistent. He gave her a look like “what’s wrong with you? Why won’t you let me play on you?” It was hard to get angry with him because he was frustrating to live with and teach, but he was so cute and lovable. He was a walking contradiction but one she quickly fell in love with. It was hard not to.

           Shadow wanted to meet everybody, every person and especially every dog. He loved to play and run around with other dogs. They took him to see Milo’s aunt and her dog and Shadow and her dog had a blast chasing each other. Then it turned into a hump fest where they would take turns humping each other, which was hilarious. They wouldn’t let him do that with dogs they didn’t know, but with his family it was okay.

           So many things were learned about Shadow, and Amanda and Milo taught him a lot. Thankfully he was a fast learner, although he was sneaky. Sometimes he would listen and obey, but only because he knew he was getting a treat. They had to work around that.

           They eventually took Shadow back to Milo’s apartment and let him get used to that. The whole month and time had been an experience and neither of them had expected to have a dog come out of it, but with as much of a challenge as Shadow was, they loved him and wouldn’t have traded him for anything.