Part I: The Memories

Let me start out by saying I’m a dog mom, through and through.

I’ve never wanted children, and I’ve always loved raising dogs. They’re just…easier, than people, you know?

My first love was a Brittany, named Patch. There’s a famous family story where there was a squirrel loose in the production area of my father’s workshop, and Patch was DETERMINED to capture it.

My dad, an outdoorsman & lifelong hunter of animals, is always giddy at re-telling this story of his young daughter & a dog acting downright BLOODTHIRSTY for a poor little rascal who just wanted to make it back to his tree with a lil nut.

The way he recounts it, Patch was chasing, and I was cheering. Little me in my Pocahontas diaper, only knowing that our goal was to get that prize. Eventually Patch grabbed him, and my dad says that I was jumping up and down, victorious. “We GOT him!” I said.

literal pic from the scrapbook. My sistas & I never wore clothes (we were feral fr). Censored for the PDFs that apparently surround us all. #EPSTEINFILESSSS

Another story with Patch involves me wandering off as a child - about a few miles, to be exact - oopsie!

The cops ended up being called, and I was found away from home with the ever loyal Patch by my side.

Patch ended up being hit by a car on the road, and as outdoorsmen did in the old days1 - my dad shot him to give him an honorable death, as he would not have survived the impact.

Part II: Making Memories

When I felt like I was receiving signs from the universe this year that it was finally time for us to add a third canine to our pack, I went through my internal log of dog breeds that interested me & who I felt would do well integrating with our existing pack.

Since Nymeria (left) is dog aggressive, we didn’t feel super confident about rescuing for our 3rd. The ironic part is it’s been VILLAIN (right) who has been the jealous one in the pack.

As the title of this piece suggests, I felt like it was destiny that the stars aligned and for us to bring home a Brittany puppy - my second chance at creating memories with the breed that had stolen my heart as a child.

Here’s where I want to let you know that this is not all rainbows and butterflies, because a puppy is so much more than a figment of your imagination.

A puppy is a baby - and they require much of the same care and attention that a human baby does. Yeah yeah yeah, it’s nOt tHE sAmE - I know that! I’m just saying.

When it comes to bringing home a HIGH ENERGY hunting breed pup - I want to share a little bit of what you’re in for…..

Photos of these 3 together is rare…because Valentine never sits still.

Don’t get me wrong. I think overall, bringing home this bundle of spaz is maybe the top reason I have now been motivated to earn a living from my art - because he is so high maintenance, I need to be able to continue working from home….

But a dog like this is not for the faint of heart, and today I wanted to write about it.

The car ride in question…I actually deleted the videos I had of him crying because it was so bad LOLLL

That day we drove home almost 2 hours with this furry little gerbil sized pup, and he screamed & wailed almost the entire time.

But that didn’t phase me.

He needed to go potty every 2 hours during the night, and about every 20 minutes during the day, but that didn’t phase me. I’ve dealt with puppies & their bladders before.

His tiny needle teeth could shred any material he found, including my flesh. All 20 of his nails for some reason grow specifically to a sharp point, no matter how regularly I file them (even still). I’ll wear scars from his mouth and paws on my body until I die.

But that doesn’t phase me.

He’s a wild pup. We’re working on his mouth manners & the jury is still out on his slapping & jumping habits…..for now, I’m choosing my battles with this one.

He’s a freak. I can’t deny that I love it.

The thing that is most ironic & most challenging for me as a dog mom yet is how absolutely terrified Valentine is of the most mundane things while being the most gung-ho, rock-em-sock-em, rage bait king of the century. He has been forcing me to up my game in regards to canine behavior, communication, shaping, etc, in every single way. Also……patience.

Add in his his energizer bunny coded stamina, stage 5 velcro clinger status, and penchant for mischief…and you’ve got yourself a mogwai you fed after midnight.

I can no longer keep track of how many times I have cried from the happiness and healing the doggies and this puppy bring me, but I’ve had my share of crying from exasperation & exhaustion, too.

Caring for an animal as high maintenance as this puppy has been a lesson in motherhood, and given me an appreciation I never knew was possible for human mothers.

I felt like I’ve had to sacrifice every single thing about “me” and my life since bringing home Saint Valentine. This is WITH a loving and supportive partner, a lovely home with a yard, a flexible schedule and ability to stay home with the dogs. This is including the support and care from puppy grandparents who help when needed.

I truly can’t comprehend a life where a new mother must face the world alone…for far longer than I must sacrifice.

I find myself relating to the silly memes and recounting from my newborn mom friends, and it’s given me insight into the retro family dynamic seen in “traditional” homes - the dad is mostly absent due to providing for the family, I’m the main caregiver home with my thoughts & tasked with raising a feral demon with some manners, and sometimes questioning if I’ve lost my sanity because of it.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned after growing our pack to 3 dogs are:

family is everything
mothers deserve more help & respect

Oh, and I got sterilized.

As if I didn’t already know I could never handle the load of being a human mother and/or pregnant……..THIS SEALED THE DEAL, BABY!!!!!

Thank you for reading.

As always, let me know what thoughts this piece inspired within you 💖

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Please note I do not endorse outdoorsman behavior unless I explicitly say so, tysm

We brought home a Brittany puppy in March 2025, & my life will never be the same.

Where will this all lead me?

Your Practices Are Who You Are