Saying Goodbye

5 years ago we brought a puppy home from the pet store.  We sat in the kitchen floor discussing names and watched the clumsy canine wreak havoc on our wood floors.  We smiled and laughed to ourselves nervously.  A few nights later, the gravity of the purchase began to set in.  But by then, he was family.  We knew the challenge that was ahead of us, but like so many new couples, we chose a dog as our first child, and we intended to see it through.  Potty training, scrubbing soiled carpet, pitiful puppy howls from the garage at night, crate training, sit & stay, chew toys...endless chew toys, bark collars, shock collars, walking collars, training collars {we've had them all}, doggie treats, swallowed diapers- which leads to vet visits, scratched floors, dented walls, doggie door, doggie beds, chewed up and peed on shrubs and trees...it is beyond me why humans put themselves through the trouble of owning animals.  We invested quite a bit in Winston.  In more ways than one.  I think I always pictured having Winston around until he was old and...well, gray.  But this weekend we made the tough decision to give him away to a home better suited to his wiley needs.  Our neighborhood association made rules prohibiting homes like ours from getting tall fences that block backyard views, and our seemingly Winston proof Invisible Fence wasn't so Winston proof after all.  He got a taste of life outside of our back yard, and apparently liked it enough to endure the *shocking* consequence. Over. and. Over.  Our friendly neighbors would bring him back each time, but we couldn't ignore the danger it posed for Winston and other drivers on the busy street.  Thankfully a childhood friend of mine shared the Good Owner Wanted facebook post with her husband, who fell in love with him, and they took him home a few nights ago. 
I don't think we were prepared for the loss, honestly.  It was all very quick, like ripping off a band-aid, and then he was gone.  We were no longer dog owners.  I'm not very good at goodbyes...let's be real...I'm not good in any emotional situation...but especially goodbyes.  I tend to make a laugh out of it and then suffer silently later by myself.  And this was no exception. I'm not blogging for sympathy, but rather because he was a part of our family, and it feels wrong not to document our goodbye it in some way.  I'm sure some psychologist would say this is my way of saying goodbye.  I'm sure they'd also say that I have guilt of not being a better dog mom while I had the chance, or that maybe I feel like a quitter.  I guess maybe they could be right.  But those guys are all nuts anyway, right?  Because being sad about or being emotionally attached to an animal would just be silly, right? Well, in any case, the Watsons will miss Winston.  The UPS man?...not so much.