Petlife logo

Living with a Land Cloud

A constant downpour of fur, in the places you least expect.

By LiliaPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read
8
How do you say no to this smile?

Towards the end of February 2020, a mysterious creature, resembling a cloud with small, stumpy legs, made landfall in our home, bringing with it forecasts of snow, rain, and mud over a period of several weeks. Actually, several months.

Despite the soiled couches, the frequent mopping of floors, and the ubiquitous white fur that dusted our furniture (and food) like a fine layer of snow, we grew to love this peculiar little cloud and named her Nala, for her lion-like mane and fierce personality.

Potty pads are for sleeping, not peeing.

Alright, elegant descriptions aside, Nala was a crazy ball of fur! People are most certainly not joking when they say a Samoyed puppy is “not ideal” for new pet owners. But I was stubborn. I had been reading up on raising a puppy for over a year, and I had researched everything I could possibly need to know about the Samoyed breed. I knew they shed! I knew they barked a lot! I knew puppies weren’t just fluffy bundles of joy – they were bundles of responsibility! I was ready!

But did I know that stray bits of Nala would find their way into every burrito, every cup of coffee, and every bowl of noodle soup? (Even when we ate out without Nala, her fur managed to cling to our clothes and find their way into everything…) Did I realize just how vocal and talkative Nala would be? I recently looked it up, and according to Furbo (company that makes pet cameras), Samoyeds far outrank other dog breeds in number of barks per day, with an average of 52.8 barks. (The runner-up, Yorkshire Terriers, only bark an average of 23.6 times a day.) When I saw those numbers, I think I laughed – so true – then sobbed a little – but why does it have to be true? – then sob-laughed as I went to show my husband. The next time Nala started barking, I counted... then gave up. She barked 20 times in a single bark session, and I’m pretty sure she has at least 10 of those sessions a day.

But I’m writing this for an “EmPAWee of the Month” submission, so Nala’s got to be more than a cute but devilish little monster! Right?!

Right, yes, of course. Well, here goes.

Active contributor to company culture - check!

As you might have already guessed, Nala is quite possibly the worst work-from-home buddy ever. It’s hard to focus when every other 10 minutes, Nala demands her pawrents take a break, which she’ll eagerly announce with a bark so deafening it makes you forget what email you were supposed to be writing. (Land cloud brought with it a forecast of thunder.) It’s even harder to focus on the screen when Nala’s various dog parts occasionally make their way into your 8am Zoom meetings. (Land cloud also brought with it a forecast of thick fog – visibility is low.)

Perfect attendance for those 8am Zoom meetings - check!

But, one of the best things I’ve discovered because of Nala, especially in our era of remote work, is that maybe a few extra breaks isn’t so bad. With no commute, no obligation to get dressed, and schedules that blur the boundaries of work-life balance, it’s easy to just stay inside all day. It’s easy to just work and keep working and get tunnel vision, with the end of it being more work. But Nala says no to tunnels, and not just because her own echo confuses her, but because she'll turn into a chaotic ball (cloud?) of pent-up crazy without regular fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. And because of her, I learned that I would be too.

I’ll be honest – I’m not a morning person. Was not, still not. Even Nala couldn’t change that, whoops. But while my circadian rhythm remained that of a night owl’s, my haphazard daily routines (or lack thereof) managed to gain some order. Feed Nala on time, or she’ll sit by her food bowl and stare into my soul until I do. Walk her in the morning before work, or she’ll raise a ruckus that’ll wake the neighbor’s baby (who will then join in the ruckus). I learned that my own discipline and consistency were key to raising a well-disciplined dog. If I expected good behavior from Nala, then I needed to make sure I was on top of my own shit.

Aids in the professional development of other employees - check!

Even more significant than the changes I discovered in my character, are the ways in which Nala has expanded my curiosity. And as a writer, that is huge. I’ve never met anyone, any human, any dog, that is as curious as Nala is. She needs to investigate every patch of grass, every single tree trunk, smell every single dog at the park and every bag of groceries. It’s amazing. Nothing is too little or insignificant to her. The geckos in the bushes? Every single one must be chased. The trail of ants behind the kitchen cabinet? They must be vanquished. (Thank you, Nala, for this one. We would not have found them otherwise.) See? Because nothing is too small to pique her interest, she takes the time to go and look into every corner, corners of life we would never look at. And from her, I’ve also learned to find the hidden details, to notice things in my surroundings that I didn’t before, to come up with new and different ways of describing an object, a scene, a story.

Sometimes, I gaze into Nala’s eyes, and I cannot believe that dogs are creatures without consciousness. Nala has so much personality, so much uniqueness to her, and her very otherness draws me to create entire narratives in my mind about talking animals, magical creatures that resemble land clouds, and so on. She has taught me so much.

And for that, she deserves the EmPAWee of the Month award, every month.

"EmPAWee of the Month"

You can follow Nala on Instagram @itslalanala :)

dog
8

About the Creator

Lilia

dreamer of fantasy worlds. lover of glutinous desserts.

twitter @linesbylilia

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.