I’ve just become one of those crazy people who blog about their dogs, I guess.

This is Meeka, a 2- or 3-year old mixed breed dog who’d been abandoned by her previous owner. She was found with three puppies somewhere in Al Khawaneej, Dubai, a couple of months ago and has been bounced from shelter to shelter since then.

I’d been looking around for a dog for some time. After seeing an appeal for her adoption on Facebook, I decided to take her in and will be officially adopting her sometime in the next week.

She was quite timid when I first met her. She was affectionate but obviously very scared and had trust issues. She was snapping at people who got too close too quickly. I could definitely relate to that.

She’s never snapped at me, though. I think she could tell that I was going to choose her. She quickly made herself at home on my couch the minute we got to my apartment and kept nudging me for cuddles. She’s quiet, smart, and very sweet. She’s house-trained too (one of the many advantages of getting an older dog versus getting a puppy).

I’ve only had her for three days, but I already know my lifestyle is going to change for the better with her around.

See, I hate working out for the sake of working out. No, I don’t hate exercise, I just think it’s a waste of time when it serves no other purpose than to exercise. I feel like the human race has come up with ways to do things with the least amount of effort, only to take all that saved time to exert ourselves using machines in a smelly room with a bunch of sweaty men.

I like to exercise when it has a social or entertainment aspect to it, and a set schedule to keep me motivated. Walking with Meeka includes all those things. Today I woke up at 6 am, walked a total of 3km over three walks throughout the day, and thoroughly enjoyed every second.

It’s strange to be solely responsible for the survival of another living thing though (I’ve managed to kill every single plant that’s come under my care in under a month). I’m 33 years old but as a childless single woman, I’ve never had to rush home to take care of anyone in my life. I can’t imagine how much more difficult it must be for parents.

Last night I was worried sick as I sat in a concert with some friends after leaving her alone for the first time. I rushed home as quickly as I could and was greeted at the door by a very happy doggy and a completely intact apartment.

So, this marks my first entry about Meeka and me. It’ll be fun getting to know her and learn things with her!