First time dog parent: what I didn't expect

There is something envigorating about seeing the world trough the eyes of a dog...

I was never a dog person before but the desire for a fur companion became too big to deny anymore.

After researching the various breeds available and if any dogs matching our criterias could be found at nearby shelters, we bumped into a friend at the marina who told us about this dog.

We adopted Tokka at the end of the summer when most of our visit had come and gone. It's also when we released our chickens to free range.

At that time i was still full time on the island and my husband would come for the weekends. We walked a lot and played together.

Everyone that saw us together commented on how pretty she was and how busy I must be. They were right too but no one prepared me for the joy she brings me, that came as a complete surprise.

I spent a lot of time researching how to best feed/ play/ train my puppy that I hyper focused on the minutia until we got in a habit of walking twice daily around the island.

Every time we would get out for a walk, I would flow back into the joy of being with my dog.

Maybe this renewed joy for the mundane is connected to all that time we shared together. Tokka's many firsts and subsequent propensities for what she liked.. boating, going after the chickens and our long walks to the points.

Or maybe it's just that she makes me have to go for walks more often then I normally would have chosen to on my own... and that is a good thing. Adopting Tokka has given me a renewed appreciation for everything around me.

Thanks for reading me, keep being a blessing.