My Sweet Boy Hamilton

Hamilton is a German Shepherd mix that has changed my life in immeasurable ways. For many years I thought dog ownership and city life were incompatible. I persisted in this belief despite all evidence to the contrary. Daily my neighbors and friends were walking dogs, sharing the elevator of our building and generally flaunting their dog life style in front of me. Still I persisted in my view that city raised dogs were an abomination against the natural order. Cats, now those were pets best suited to city living. Plus my wife was a cat person. It was all too easy.

How could I subject a dog to a life of cramped apartments, elevator rides and sidewalk perambulating when everyone knows a dog needs a yard to run in and fields to play in. I guess the thousands of dog owners in Manhattan did not agree me. Granted some of their dogs were not the type I could see myself strolling down the street with. I am very tall and my weight fluctuates to great degrees. It would be quite a site to see me walking down the street trailing some lap dog behind me.

It was my size that finally tipped the scale, literally, to getting a dog. My doctor finally had seen enough regarding my living habits and told me in no uncertain terms that I had to reform my self away from the kitchen table and into the gym. I knew that was a hopeless task. I have no patience for running on treadmills or twisting and turning in sweaty gyms watching the clock to determine if I had put in enough time to leave with out being embarrassed by the trainer and the fitness fanatics.

No, a dog would be the answer. I would walk him several times a day and get my much needed exercise doing something useful. To salve my guilty conscious for subjecting the poor creature to a life of city living misery I would make sure the walks would be extensive. Anyway I grew up with a beloved family dog. It was time to return to my rightful place in the human, animal continuum. A dog person I was and a dog person I would be again. My wife and the cats would have to adjust.

Naturally my wife was thrilled. She had always wanted to have a dog she said while diplomatically not mentioning the ancillary benefit of the dog forcing me to get some exercise. So we began our research. This was a common theme for us. Having decided on an approach or decision we always tried to understand the subject or task we had undertaken inside out.

What we were not prepared for was the depth and extent of the subculture we would become a part of as dog owners in the city. Neighbors who we had never spoken to became friendly. We learned about play dates, dog walkers, day care and pet cabs. Even more interesting we also learned about the quirky people who own dogs, love them and participate in the unique dog world that is the city.

My wife and I love our dog, maybe to a degree that some people could never understand. We have restructured our lives around his needs and to maximize our experience of the love and affection that he gives us. We do not apologize for this nor do we over sentimentalize our relationship with him. He is our pet and he gives us much joy and purpose. I hope to share these experiences with you and also to provide useful information and entertainment.