Full disclosure, I do believe in adopting pets and rescuing at the shelter. Athena and I did not meet in this manner, and I would love to save a dog in the future. I mention this because I acknowledge that too many puppies and dogs in shelters; it disheartens me that I may have been too quick before rescuing a dog. At one point, I had looked at shelters, but unfortunately, the dog that I wanted was adopted before I was able to adopt them. There were also many requirements for particular rescue centers that I did not meet, such as being a college student. While I want to rescue a dog in the future, I wouldn't trade Athena for any dog!
At first, I wanted a male dog. I didn't want to have to deal with a female dog's heat cycle and it just seemed like the more comfortable solution. However, my dad convinced me to get a female dog. He believed that female dogs were more protective than male dogs. What's funny is he ended up rescuing a German Shepherd from an abusive home that is a male dog. Anywho, I was pretty particular on the coat pattern I wanted for my German Shepherd. It turns out there are way more patterns than I thought. Athena's coloring required some research on my part. I learned that her coat is called Sable and it is a dominant gene, which was unexpected. Most people think of the brown and tan shepherds, and that was the color I wanted her to be initially. So I began to look for a female black and tan German Shepherd puppy.
She was so cute when I first saw her with her one floppy ear and her timid puppy wobble. I hadn't thought of a name very much yet, but when she came right up to me, her name just popped into my head. Athena. That's what I initially wanted to call her. When we got her in the car, I had her on my lap, and she looked so timid. I knew it must be frightening being away from her littermates for the first time. While I continued to pet her (she had no idea at the time the attention she would get from me), I could see the fleas jumping off of her from being kept outside and made a mental note to bathe her right away. My best friend, K (for the sake of privacy), and I began to run through names, but nothing else seemed to stick. K then told me, "You have called her Athena more times than any other name. I think you've figured it out." Athena! The goddess of wisdom. It was fitting. And so it stuck.
I remembered the first time she inspected her new house. Even then, she was a sniffer and curious. Little did I know how interested this little puppy would become. She did her little puppy waddle around the house and continued to remain timid. It would be about weeks before her floppy ear would stand up on its own, and I was both excited and disappointed. I remember getting supplies, bathing her, and making her vet appointment all the same day I got her. This was just the start of what this journey with Athena would be. As she looked up at me with her sweet, curious little eyes, I already loved her so much, and we had just met.
Thanks fur the read,
The Pawsitive Writer
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