The Grimm Adventures

A new city, a new home... hell a new climate and my sister Kaela and I, sat down for the first time since moving the last box into our two bedroom apartment. The waitress at IHOP brought our menu's as we began to lay out our plans for saving money and really starting to make a life in desert of southern Utah. What should have been, clearly, a more at length conversation about where to our money should be prioritized, turned into a very lack luster attempt at the very least to say we had "the finance conversation", and then check it off of the list of things to do. As a result we left the restaurant, and put the conversation to bed as we pulled the car out of the space.

"SAY NO TO THE PUPPY MILLS" a sign said. Followed by another with a similar message. Dozens of people line the streets, holding signs in the heat of the day protesting puppy mills and advocating for adoption of pets. Of course we agree with this, so as we drive by we open the windows and show our agreement by laying on the car horn to a large sing that read "Honk if you're for adoption"

"What business are they protesting?" I asked Kaela as she turned the corner to enter the same complex of businesses where stood the protestors on our way to the grocery store.

"I'm not sure" she replied.

Then, we both see it, Puppy House... There is a place called Puppy House. Well, of course we agreed, nonverbally that we HAD to check it out... just to hold a puppy, thats all.

The tires skid as Kaela aggressively turned the car into the space right in front of the business in question and slammed her brakes. There was not a single word exchanged between us as we flung open the doors and surveyed the vast array of options in front of us.

Glass cages stood as pillars scattered about the open floor plan surrounded by people who had the same idea we had (thank you protestors). All of them interacting with squealing puppies clamoring up at them. There was a canine of every kind made available to us and all so small it would melt the iciest of hearts. We walked up one side and down the other, fawning over the one or another but always able to move on to the next with out lingering too long until we came to the last containment of 4 puppies.

Amidst the yipping and attention seeking specimens at our finger tips one little guy stood out. He had separated himself from the group and had nuzzled his little nose into the corner of the glass cage. he wasn't moving and didn't seem interested at all. He grabbed our attention immediately.

"Can we hold this one" Kaela asked.

The associate made it clear we couldn't hold the puppies unless we planned on purchasing. We lied... of course and said that we were (don't judge you would too). We were saving money dang it, we couldn't afford a dog but clearly we were both blurring lines considering the conversation that had taken place at IHOP not more that 1 hour prior.

The sales girl lifted the little dog out of his holding cell and handed him to us, and we both fell in love with his little "emo" demeanor. He was a Lhasa Apso. A dog that would not grow beyond 20 pounds with hair that is capable of reaching the ground in thick flowing locks. His coloring was a majority white with red spots and ears and a tail that had slight black at the tips.

"No" I said vehemently.

"PLEASE" Kaela prompted emphatically.

My constant protest went in one ear, and evidently out the other for both of us. It felt a little like holding up a green stop sign as we hastily signed papers and before we knew it we were carrying the dog we "couldn't afford" out the door and to the car. Sheepishly past the protestors who glared at us as we opened the car door after exiting the very establishment they were trying to shut down.

As we drive away, both of us look at each other with a small amount of fear while I cradle the little lump of shaky fur in my lap. We had no idea how to take care of a dog. What do we feed it? (dog food obviously but what kind is best?!) How often does it need to exercise? shit.

"Whats his name?" the nice lady who works at Puppy House had asked as we were getting ready to leave.

"Grimm" we we replied confidently. What else would you name this cute little pouty thing. I examined him as they tied a little bow around his neck. he had a tuft of hair that fell right over his eyes, and he seemed fittingly unimpressed by the whole affair.

Now in the car driving away from the dopamine high neither one of us knew what to do next, and we just looked at each other, as Grimm stared out the window. We didn't even know this silent little stranger, how were we going to convince him that we can do this, that he can trust us to love him and keep him safe?

***

Grimm's life has been 6 months of learning the hard way! How do we teach him to use the bells hanging on the door to go potty, but then turn around and tell him "no" when he rings them 6 times an hour because he is bored?!

How do people actually teach their dog tricks? because when I say sit, he lays down and then gets inpatient with me for not giving him the treat that he is owed.

Do other peoples dogs actually come to them when they are called? because like a good dog owner, I take my demon to the park but when I call him to go home, we both end up running from one end of the park to the other while every one and their well behaved dogs giggle.

The real questions is, do I have a dog or a Skin Walker?

As much as I try to impress upon him the importance of going potty outside sometimes we still end up having the "don't poop on the floor" conversation. One day in particular, I heard silence from the kitchen, which is unusual in as much as he is constantly getting into mischief. I walked into the kitchen and he whips his little body around to face me from the corner of the counter tops and the side of the stove.

As I approach him he seems sheepish, and I can see his hind legs fidgeting. I investigate further and found that he had pooped on the floor and, having heard me approaching, began to hide his freshly dumped turd under the stove!

One of us has underestimated the other....

Yes the days still happen when we absolutely don't understand one another, but the days are becoming more and more frequent that we just click. One day in particular after a long night of trying to fit in with a new crowd in my new city I came home covered in multi colored chalk dust from the nights events at the color festival. I was covered from head to toe. It was late at night and he was so excited to see that I had come home that he ran into my arms and nuzzled his little nose into my shoulder as he had nuzzled it into the side of his cage when I first met him.

His giant smile said everything I needed to know. It doesn't matter that we had no idea what we were doing when we left the puppy store that day, or that we still have no idea. The point is that Grimm has his forever home. Our little emo dog is the smartest most feisty ball of fluff with an unlimited amount of love to give to us and everyone around him and I am fortunate indeed that Kaela and I decided not to save money after all.