Morgan Letizia

WINCHESTER, VA- Like many other people, I decided that the perfect time to get a new puppy during quarantine. This would have been a fantastic idea, except for the fact that I already had a puppy. However, what’s one more?

   This brought the arrival of my Australian Shepard, Dahlia (Dolly for short). Dolly turned out to be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. This once sweet, small puppy quickly grew into a huge dog with a lot of energy and by the time that happened, it was time for me to go back to school and work. Not surprisingly, this did not sit well with either of my dogs. 

    Dolly showed me that I had been blessed with a relatively well-behaved first dog.  My first dog is a rescue Pitbull Mix named Rosie. She was very mellow and well behaved until she met her partner in crime. Rosie loved that I was home with her all day so when it was time for me to go back to school, I didn’t feel as bad knowing I was leaving her with Dolly. I definitely should have known better before I left two puppies alone in my apartment. 

   Rosie and Dolly have turned into a dream team of bad behavior. They’ve both grown a lot and are still not used to me not being with them all day like I used to be. However, I can’t imagine a world without those chaotic little monsters. Having two puppies during quarantine taught me how to care for something on my own and how rewarding that can be, even if it’s frustrating at times. Although I have to clean up after them every day and sometimes feel like the mother of dragons instead of dogs, I couldn’t have made it through 2020 without seeing their happy little faces.