It's Official . . .

. . . I AM a crazy dog person.

Trust me, I am just as shocked as you are. I've just been told that it's "weird" to buy a car for your dog.

WHAT!?

You see, my 2001 Kia is a sweet little no-frills car. Jedi fits nicely in the back seat for trips to the park or Sonic. But it's not big enough to carry his crate and all the paraphernalia needed for a dog show. Hubby has a Ford Expedition. All the dog show stuff fits nicely in there, but the Ford has nearly 200,000 miles on it and is becoming more and more temperamental. Hubby and I felt it was no longer reliable for long road trips, so we've been renting vehicles to do dog shows. That gets expensive.

The all new (to us) Jedi mobile!

About a month ago we found a used Chrysler Pacifica for an incredible price. It had low mileage and all the bells and whistles. Best of all, it was big enough to hold Jedi's crate and all his stuff. (We measured it before making an offer.) So I bought it. For the dog. Come to think of it, many of my major decisions have been made with the dogs in mind.

• I've gone to work sick so I could save my personal time for dog shows.
  
  
• I turned down a job and stayed in an unhappy one because it would take me away from my dog.
  
  
• I've bought furniture with my dogs in mind. You know, will it show hair? Is it easy to clean? Is the fabric dog nail resistant? (Is that weird? Or just being practical?)
  
  
• And while I'm being honest, I should confess that we're stuck in Florida because of a dog. When the Navy transferred us here from Maryland, the waiting list for base housing was 18 months. We couldn't find anyone who would rent to us with a 100+ pound Rottie mix. There was no way I was going to get rid of my dog (yes, someone suggested that!) so we bought a house. For the dog. The sad part is that shorty after we bought the house the market fell and the house was no longer worth what we paid. I'd love to move but we can't afford it. Pepper has been gone for six years and we're just now getting equity in the house.

I've been called a crazy dog lady. OK, I'll admit that I'm a dog person. I won't admit to "crazy." (BTW, I'm not saying I'm not crazy I'm just saying I won't admit to it. -- How's that for a double negative!) I don't regret the decisions I've made. I know people who buy vehicles that suit their hobbies, furniture that's kid-friendly and houses based on a job location. For me, dogs are family, included in my hobbies and a big part of my job. Maybe it's not so weird after all, right? Maybe it's the critics who are "weird" or "crazy." Or maybe they're cynophobic . . . And why am I even entertaining their opinions anyway?!

So how about you? Have you made any major purchases around your dogs? Please share (and prove those jerks wrong).

OK, enough thinking about what constitutes a crazy dog person and a conscientious dog owner. Why? Because it's Thoughtless Thursday! We're joining Ruckus the Eskie, M.K. Clinton and the pups over at Love is Being Owned by a Husky and all the folks below to share what thoughts are (or aren't) in our heads today. Take a look! -- K