I never thought that living with dogs would be easy. I know perfectly well what it means to take on responsibility and care for someone at home. So, when Rasa first brought up getting a dog, my reaction was strictly negative. A dog is a commitment. You can’t just abandon them to fate and go out to have fun for a long time, leaving them all alone.
Well, they won’t be left home alone for a couple of days with a filled bowl of water and a 24-hour food ration. Also, I can guarantee that when you get back home and crack the door open, you won’t be greeted by a crisp, fresh home aroma. A dog needs to be cared for, you need to spend time together, and only then will they repay you...
LIFE IN HAIR
The first token of appreciation is dog hair. It tumbles across the floor like those tumbleweeds in old westerns, no matter how much you vacuum and mop the rooms. Poor robot vacuum. I honestly don't understand how it’s still alive after all those times a snake made of various hairs tried to assassinate it.
We have two Australian Shepherds. Wonderful creatures. They shed twice a year. They could easily get this procedure over with at the same time, but no – they shed in turns. One month it's one, then for about a month – the other. For a third of the year, there’s an active war against dog hair, which they win just like the Martians with their tripods in H.G. Wells' sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds...
Yes, yes, I’m not exaggerating one bit – hair attacks your clothes, invades your food, you pick it out from between your teeth, or even find it somehow managed to navigate its way below the waist. Man stands completely helpless against this element. For all of those nearly four months.
Have you ever seen a cat hacking up hairballs? Gagging, coughing, the little beast – just like me during the peak of the dog shedding season. It already feels like the end is near and one day I will literally cough up my lungs, but then everything suddenly ends. The hair vanishes, and if a few hundred or thousands of them remain, you simply stop noticing them. You feel free. You feel alive. You feel human. Until next time.
A MAN'S JOY – A PRISTINE LAWN
When we first moved in, one of the very first tasks, defying all logic, was putting in the lawn. We ripped out stumps, leveled the dirt, installed the irrigation system, seeded the grass – all just to make the yard look nicer and cozier. I vividly remember those peaceful summer evenings when we’d sit outside on the swing, sip a fine drink, and enjoy the silence, gazing at the rainbow created over the grass by the sprinklers. Pure idyll. It ended the moment she arrived – our first Australian Shepherd, Arka.
Unfortunately, Arka was only the beginning. Later, more of them appeared – trench diggers and road workers, carving out actual highways with their paws. Plant all you want, fix all you want – the final view is always tragic. These aren't dogs; they're xenomorphs from the Alien movies, secreting acid and leaving the poor lawn spotted, bald, and so desolate that it breaks your heart to look at it, just like the poet's heart broke while walking through the deforested woods of Anykščiai.
Only in our yard, there's no room to look around or stroll – everything is heavily mined. Cleared or not, landmine after landmine awaits outside. No enemy would ever pass. Even though the bomb squad (meaning Rasa) sweeps the yard at least once a day, risking literally getting bogged down just to collect all those mines, it’s unfortunately not enough. I don't know what kind of engines are built into these dogs' bodies that they do this multiple times a day. To top it off, one spot for one single round is not enough for them – a single sitting leaves at least 3–4 new mines.
Furthermore, this process operates under some mystical system: wherever I am, that's where they lay the mines. All so that I can personally catch the scent and check if they are eating healthy or if anything is missing. If I'm sitting outside – it’s always right before my eyes. When I’m working inside – right under my office windows. I suppose this is how they demonstrate their love. It’s a good thing they don't look you dead in the eye during the process with that specific Australian Shepherd side-eye.
A QUIET EVENING – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Of course, after every single day, no matter what it was like, evening comes. After a day's work, you want only one thing – to quietly watch basketball, like Žalgiris playing in the EuroLeague, or put on some movie or TV show. Well, realistically, just to sit down and forget the day's worries. You just want no one to talk to you, no one to bother you... You want your oasis of peace where all thoughts and worries fade away... Unfortunately, that’s not for you. You won’t have it, and it’s not meant to be. On the bright side, you have dogs.
They say an Australian Shepherd is like a shadow. They are always near, always with you, always demanding attention. Oh yes! Just try to sit down peacefully – one will immediately run over, climb onto your belly, snuggle up tight, and won't let you move. You won't be able to change the channel with the remote, nor scroll through your phone. The dog missed you, and her royal highness needs you. Right here, right now.
Eventually, as soon as you get rid of one, the other will promptly present herself. She will jump, growl, bark, lick your hands, face, head, and demand to be petted. After all, the second one needs attention too. Forget your relaxation plans – it's time to pay your dues to the dog. After all, you spent the whole day doing something just for yourself, and now it's their time. You are obligated to give it to them, to repay them for everything they did for you all day: waiting in the sun with their bellies up, protecting the house from passing cyclists, playing, romping around, and doing other doggy things that dogs must do. After all, they put in a full day's work too, and they need to be thanked...
AN AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD AT HOME – A TRUE BLESSING
From the morning whining, announcing that the sun is rising, it's time to go out, and time for breakfast, to late evening when, already lying in bed, you hear sighing behind the door and nails shuffling against the floor. From the moment you come home and a furry creature leaps onto you, ready for a French kiss straight into your mouth, to the constant laser-focus staring when you sit at the table eating your daily calorie intake. All that noise, barking, and inconvenience caused...
Despite all of this and more, Australian Shepherds – our girls – are a true blessing in the house. They don't let you be sad. They don't let you be lonely. They instantly sense when things are tough or when something hurts. The truth is, life with Arka and Tonga is simply more beautiful.
