As the holiday season approaches, please keep in mind that dogs are a 10 to 15 year commitment. While a new pet can be a wonderful addition to your family, it’s important to remember that animals are living beings that require your time and energy throughout their entire lives.

Sometimes, we assume that every dog will seamlessly fit into our lives. Luke has been with us for five months, and we have learned a lot during this time, though there is still much more to discover. Luke is currently in a developmental stage, where he is learning and testing the boundaries we set. We are dedicated to training him and practicing his skills.

Luke is quite the Velcro dog; he tends to follow me wherever I go. This week, for the first time in five months, he went into a private room by himself to lie down and take a nap, which gave me time to work on a project. This was a significant step in his development, and we’ve experienced a few other breakthroughs this week as well.

When Luke plays with his friend Honeybee, he often doesn’t understand her need for personal space. She frequently tries to escape to the stairs to rest, so we have to put up a gate to separate them and give Honeybee the space she needs. Two days ago, both dogs were tired, and Honeybee went under the table to take a nap. This time, Luke respected her space and laid down near the table without intruding on her, allowing her to rest peacefully.

Luke is full of energy and enjoys his routines. However, this week we haven’t been able to take our morning walks due to the winter conditions and the salty roads. As a result, there has been some chaos while Luke has been home alone. Normally, he leaves our belongings alone when he’s by himself, but without his morning exercise and the opportunity to explore, he has made a few mistakes. We have an appointment tomorrow for Luke to get sized for booties, so we can return to our morning walks.

Luke easily gets excited and can be reactive, especially towards a specific dog in our neighborhood. Every morning, we wake up early, and Luke goes outside to play. I really hope that this dog doesn’t come by, but often it does. When that happens, Luke starts barking and becomes overly excited at 5 a.m. I apologize to our neighbors for being woken up by his barking.

Luke’s emotions are intense; he loves deeply. When he feels stressed or overly excited, he can quickly lose control. Although he is making significant progress, we still have a long way to go. With Luke’s energy, managing things would be much harder if our household dynamics were different.

Our focus is on training and socialization during his development stage. We try to avoid getting too close to his triggers, but sometimes this is unavoidable.

Luke had always been a handful since his birth. He was surrendered along with the rest of his litter as a puppy. However, due to his bullying behavior, he was quickly separated from his siblings. Luke spent his time alone in a foster home. While his siblings were adopted quickly, Luke was still waiting to find his forever home. Luke was the last of his litter to find a home, he lived with his foster for months before finding his way home.

Moral of the story: Every dog can find a loving home. It’s important to have realistic expectations when bringing a new dog into your life. If you decide to adopt a pet during the holiday season, be prepared for an adjustment period for both you and the dog. Some items may get chewed, and accidents might occur. However, if we open our hearts and forgive these little mishaps, and seek help from a trainer when necessary, things will improve over time. We love Luke very much, but we also understand that this isn’t the vision many people have when considering getting a new dog.