my best friend is floofy.

OK, so I “survived” my first week with Otto….my fears of taking care of a dog (especially the cleanup) have faded. As Jenn has been out of town the last few days, it’s just been the two of us….and I have enjoyed this in a way I couldn’t even fathom 10 days ago.

Being a new dog owner is definitely a trial and error process, but it’s also a lot of fun. Otto is a barker, as Great Pyrenees dogs are known for this. He’s also quite the sleeper – he snores like I do! He now sleeps at the foot of the bed on the hardwood floor, and more often then not, he’s asleep within minutes.

I took Otto to PetSmart on Friday….that was quite the adventure! As he chewed through two leashes and a harness, I needed to take him inside to make sure the new harness was properly fitted. I wish I’d known that there was a big German Shepard in the same aisle before we’d gone in….it was like a Clint Eastwood Western – first the stare down, and then barking instead of bullets!

I also have seen the incredibly gentle side of Otto….he’s fantastic around little children, as we pass quite a few during our daily walks. He lets the kids pet him, and it’s fun to see their faces light up being around such a gigantic and fluffy new friend!

Although he hasn’t had any puppy play dates yet, he definitely made a new friend the other day with a Newfoundland named Brendan. They’re about the same size, and neither barked at the other when they met. They just did the cordial sniffing of each other, and went about their day.

I love when other dog owners wish me luck, and lightheartedly refer to Otto as “polar bear”, “horse” and “sheepdog”…he’s a big boy, and he’s already got quite the fan club both locally and online (Otto_the_floofinator on Instagram). It’s only a matter of time before he kicks ass at Westminster!! (OK, I might be a little biased.)

I’m not he least bit ashamed or embarrassed to say that Otto is one of my new best friends. He’s the first face I see (or I’m licked on my face by) in the morning, and I hear his snoring when I go to sleep at night. And I look forward to many more years of love and laughter with The Floofinator….and hey, every hero needs a sidekick, right?