I remember the first time my dog stole a piece of chicken from the kitchen. The crazy part was that he looked at me right in the eyes while doing it.
That was what pissed me off the most.
He didn’t even try to run when he sighted me or at least pretend that he had done something wrong. Instead, he snatched the chicken right off the edge of the table, jumped down, and stood there chewing the piece of chicken, still staring at me. When I shouted his name, he paused for about two seconds and quickly swallowed everything. This was supposed to make him feel remorseful but instead he started wagging his tail like I just praised him. How unbelievable.
That was the moment I came to realise that I had not brought a pet into my house. Maybe I had just unknowingly brought in a small criminal.
My dog’s name is Max. These few years I have spent with him has made me understand that having a dog as a pet is less like owning an animal and more like sharing your space with a very wild roommate, the type that doesn’t know a thing about respecting boundaries. And despite all its misbehaviour, it still somehow finds a way to get away with it. Maybe that’s what gives it the nerve to keep repeating its mischievousness.
The funny thing is I didn’t even plan on getting myself a dog in the first place. How it happened was that a friend’s dog had puppies and he kept sending me pictures, but I just kept on ignoring them. But then one afternoon, I decided to drop by and see them in person.
Little did I know I was making a mistake that would cost me a lot (lol).
Max was smaller than the rest of the puppies. While the others were jumping on top of each, he was quietly sitting in one corner biting on a slipper. Like he had made up his mind that the slipper was what he was going to have for lunch that day.
I picked him up, before I knew it his tongue was all over my face.
Two days later, that little fella was living under my roof.
The first week with that guy was completely chaotic. He cried at night, followed me literally everywhere, and seemed annoyed whenever I walked out of his sight. Where I made a big mistake was exposing him to shoes, my goodness. That was when another problem started.
The first month alone I lost two pairs of shoes. The funny thing is that Max did not just chew any random shoe in the house. He was very intentional about the ones he went for. He saw my old slippers but didn’t go close to them, probably because he felt those were not worth his time. He went for my expensive sneakers, the ones I didn’t really wear often unless on some special occasions. Those were the ones he fixed his eyes on.
One morning, I was getting ready to head out when I noticed one of my shoes was missing. I searched under the bed, checked behind the sofa, looked inside the bathroom, and practically searched the whole place before I spotted Max sitting in the corner of the compound with the shoe right between his paws.
He just stood there looking at me. I started walking toward him. He picked up the shoe and ran.
So there I was, chasing a dog around the compound wearing just one shoe. Imagine some entering the compound and seeing this, the person would probably think I’ve gone crazy or something. While on the chase I was just asking myself how my life ended up like this. Max, on the other hand, saw the whole thing as fun.
Eventually, I learned one important thing: when your dog steals something and you start chasing him, what you’re doing is starting a new game for him.
Unfortunately, knowing that didn't stop him from stealing. It only made him more creative.
I remember this one time he took a sock, carried it straight to the sitting room, dropped it right in front of me, and waited. When I acted like I didn't see him, he picked it up, dropped it again, and stared at me. When that still didn't work, he ran off and came back with a second sock.
He dropped it right beside the first one.
We were both there looking at each other. It was as though the dog was negotiating with me.
Believe me dogs can be really smart in a strange way. What I mean is they can pick up on your routines much faster than you can think. Max knows the exact sound of my keys, so the moment I touch them, he runs straight to the door. If I start putting on my shoes, he appears beside me immediately because shoes mean we are going out.
But the moment I say "Bath time," you won't even find where he is hiding.
I've searched the whole compound for him before, only to find him hiding behind a chair with half of his body sticking out. I called his name and he just stayed completely still, thinking that if he didn't move, I wouldn't be able to see him.
That mixture of being smart and doing complete nonsense is probably what makes living with a dog so interesting.
Max has also changed how I feel about coming back home. There are days when work is completely stressful and I don't feel like talking to anybody. But the moment I open the gate, before I even close it, I hear his paws running across the floor.
He comes rushing toward me with his tail wagging so hard his whole body moves with it. Sometimes he brings a toy along. Other times it's a slipper, a plastic bottle, or some random thing he picked up from outside.
I honestly don't know where he finds half of those things.
But to him, they are gifts.He doesn't care whether my day went well or bad. The fact that I came back home is enough for him.
Of course, keeping a dog isn't always fun like you’d hope for it to be. There are times they will get sick which means you arranging for vet bills to pay, there’s also food to buy, a lot of cleaning up to do; either their poop or just general mess they make, muddy footprints on the floor, and enough dog hair that makes you begin to wonder if you're actually keeping three dogs instead of one. There are mornings when you just want to sleep in for like one extra hour, but Max has already decided that 6 a.m. is the best time to wake up, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Then there are those moments when you realize the amount of responsibility on your hands.
He relies on me for his food, water, walks, safety, and attention. When you really look at it, it's a huge responsibility. But as time goes on, it stops feeling like a burden and just becomes part of your everyday life.
I still complain about Max whenever he steals stuff or wakes me up too early. I complain when I see another spoilt slipper, and I definitely complain when I see muddy footprints on a floor I finished sweeping ten minutes ago.
Then five minutes later, I'm sitting down on the floor rubbing his ears while he lies across my legs like he is the one who owns the whole house.
I used to think people were exaggerating when they said a dog becomes part of your family. I don't think so anymore.
You start off with an animal that just needs food and care. Then you get used to its behavior, its funny habits, the things that get it excited, and what makes it scared. Before you know it, you can tell what it wants just by looking at it or hearing the kind of sound it makes when it's happy.
And then one day, you catch yourself talking to the dog about how your day went. Maybe that’s why people say dog is man’s best friend. They are probably right. Max has been one hell of a companion I have had these few years.
THANKS FOR READING!
This is my entry for 
All Images created with AI