I Wish I had My Dog’s Life: An Eleanor Update

The one person who has had a good year, a thriving social life and overall glow-up is not a human, it’s a dog. It’s my dog Eleanor. While I think I’ve had a big year it’s nothing compared to her year. Becoming a mom in January, living at the shelter, COVID foster-care, the I adopted her, training classes, dog modeling gigs and moving to Chicago. It’s been quite a year for this sweet girl.

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Queen of Our Chicago-Style Pizza Hearts

How’s she doing in Chicago? Wellllll, that’s tricky, tricky, tricky to answer. While she enjoys the house and backyard, her demeanor has changed. Due to the very long, cramped ride to Illinois she is nervous on all car rides, even when she knows she’s headed to playcare. Unfortunately she shakes uncontrollably but has a smile on her face so I don’t know how to help her ride easier.

Finding a playcare to help instill some normalcy was important to me. We found one we LOVE and has wonderful hours. It’s even open on Sundays and posts photos of the dogs playing every day. She is ALWAYS smiling and it warms my heart.

On Thanksgiving day we went to the West Loop and walked around. She did really well… until the train raced overhead. It took some pepperoni treats to calm her down but she thankfully didn’t freak out as much as she could have. I have a feeling on Christmas we are going to do the same thing as she enjoyed being a city dog. She even pooped on the sidewalk which is a real hardcore Chicago dog thing. I was weirdly proud of her as I cleaned it up. She’s overcome so much and I’m just thrilled she’ll try anything new with me.

Chicago is dog-friendly so I can’t wait to post-COVID take her on my solo-dates to eat pizza. It’s always been a dream to live in a wildly dog-friendly city and we’re living that!

New Relationship Stage

Somewhere in the midst of the long-drive/moving/colder climate trauma Eleanor decided to start really liking her mom. Like, really liking me. She’s taken on the role of protector, lap warmer, roommate and I love it. For months we were tip-toeing around this emotion but the move really put it over the edge. She has happily taken on the role of giving me purpose and equally happy to vie for my attention the rare times I get to facetime with friends.

While not an outpouring, she has started to give me kisses and every single morning greets my “Good Morning!” with a smile and jump out of bed to start the day. You never give me a hard time for my morning enthusiasm and match it 100%.

Eleanor has started being a couch dog. I never encouraged her to join me on furniture but last week she was sick (I had the joy of cleaning of piles of diarrhea on the carpet) and she jumped up. She looked pitiful so I let her. Again. And again. I quickly realized what I had done and have been training it out of her. While it’s adorable, I also work really hard to give my dog a good life and the least she can do is let me have my own couch.

It’s hard to believe the good girl sleeping on my feet was abandoned, malnourished and used to be too afraid to look at me in the eye. Now she has stolen my electric blanket and claimed it as her own and has a better social life than I have in all of 2020. What a glow up.