In late October, I adopted a French bulldog puppy named Drake, “Drizzy” until he grows into his adult name. If you want to follow along as he grows up, his Instagram is champagnechiot.
Having a puppy has already changed my life, all for the better, although also for the more chaotic. Just like Marley did for John Grogan, Drizzy will likely be the inspiration of a considerable amount of content, including on his Instagram, but these are the things I’ve learned in the first couple weeks.
Before adoption
1. Research which breed is compatible for your lifestyle and personality.
For years, I have been in love with French bulldogs. Before adopting Drizzy, I read about French bulldogs’ personalities and also their health needs. They are mischievous and playful but also quite content to sit on someone’s lap for hours, harkening back to their time as companions to silk workers. Due to their short snouts, they can have respiratory difficulties, and their spines are quite delicate, so they are not built for games like tug of war.
2. Do some soul searching to make sure you’re ready for a puppy.
Like with a human baby, if you wait until you’re completely ready for a puppy, you’ll never adopt one. I felt nervous before picking up Drizzy, but in the way I always do before a great trip that I’ve planned. I knew that kind of excited energy was a result of being on the precipice of the next challenge and not a feeling that I was about to be making a mistake.
3. Do an initial puppy gear run.
There should be puppy registries the way that there are baby registries, but here’s the list of what I consider to be the absolute essentials for day one:
1. A walking kit (collar, tag, leash, dog waste bags)
2. A food kit (food, treats, needed bowls)
3. A house training kit (pee pads, stain cleaner)
4. A toy kit (including toys for teething puppies)
5. A sleep kit (bed, blankets, crate or gate)
Pet stores are a great resource for these needs, but chewy.com has incredibly fast shipping and good prices. If you want to splurge a bit, the treats and tennis ball that come as free gifts from Wild One were a big hit with Drizzy, and a portion of the profit goes to local rescue missions.
After adoption
1. There is a decent amount of paperwork.
Some counties require registration of pets, so do a search for your county online to find out local regulations. The same goes for some HOA’s and condo associations. Aside from these registrations, be sure to schedule a vet appointment.
2. Having a puppy is like having a human child.
Both from an emotional and a logistical perspective, I have noticed changes after adopting Drizzy very similar to ones that have been discussed by working mothers. One of the more entertaining ones from an outsider’s point of view is the loss of sleep. One evening, around 1:30 a.m., Drizzy chewed through his gate, the same gate that had been my baby gate growing up, and started happily darting around all of the downstairs. He wouldn’t go back to sleep until I put a sleeping bag down on the floor next to him.
Emotionally, I have been rocked into consciousness of what love really is. I feel emotions much more deeply and understand in a way I didn’t before how fierce and unconditional the love of a mother is. Drizzy has also made me more mindful in daily life, appreciative of a good song or a breeze through fall foliage on a sunny day.
3. Having a puppy brings more chaos, but that doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
Kristin Newman, comedic writer and author of What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding, says that when making a decision, it is rare to be choosing between something horrendous and something perfect. If you’re lucky, you’re often trading awesome for awesome. In the case of Drizzy, I chose to make my life a bit more chaotic and my space a bit messier, but not only is the amount I gained so much greater, I’d also say that these things I lost were not really important or joy-sparking to begin with. He is truly magic, and I am excited to see what's to come.