Mochi's Origin Story and Becoming a Dog-Mom

I dreamed of adopting, rescuing, becoming a dog-mom, or somehow getting a dog since I was in the 2nd grade. I pleaded with my mom for years. I had childhood friends try convincing her. I made literal PowerPoint presentations explaining why I was responsible enough and the type of dog breed that would be suitable for our lifestyle. I researched dog breeds. I calculated expenses. But nothing would surpass the fact that dogs were "too much of a mess" and that my brother had allergies to dog dander.

At 17, I settled and decided that my life path would be to graduate high school, graduate college, get married, get a dog, and have a baby. I stuck to that plan for a while actually. In 2011, I graduated high school. In 2015, I graduated with my Bachelor's in English - Single Subject Teaching. In 2016, I graduated again with a teaching credential. I figured getting a dog with my then-high-school sweetheart would be a no-brainer...until I was dumped.

My life revolved around this step-by-step plan, so when my world felt like it shattered, I didn't know what to do. In short, I felt lost and purposeless; that's a whole other blog post. But, I thought...maybe I should just get a dog. I put off a goal that I created in elementary school because I was waiting to get a dog with my future life partner. I wanted to get our dog...but now, I could just get MY dog.

I was on PetFinder and other adoption websites for months, reading articles about the best breeds for apartments and trying to figure out how much it would realistically cost. To get me out of a depressive post-break-up haze, one of my best friends convinced me to drive back with her to our hometown. When I wasn't with friends, I spent those days in my parents' house, laying around feeling sorry for myself and shitty since my hometown was synonymous with my ex. What better way to pass the time than to Google "dogs for adoption"?

The first link was to a website for a litter of Shiba Inus found in a dumpster. The woman rescued dogs with her husband, found these puppies, and was trying to find them a new home as quickly as possible. They were the perfect, cream Shiba Inus.

On our way out of our hometown, I told my friend about the dogs. She kept saying we should go look, but I kept saying no. She made me a deal: if the dogs were on the way home, we'd go to look. It wasn't meant to be if they're out of the way. I looked up the location of the litter, and they were right off the exact freeway we were driving and within a couple of exits. We called our other best friend for another opinion, and she said: "If you're going, just know...You're not going to just look. You're going to get the dog."

We drove to the lady's house to "just look" at the litter of puppies, but only two were left. They were both so perfect and as we spent time sitting in the dog pen, we saw how different their personalities were. One Shiba was incessantly pulling on our clothes and biting shoelaces and fingers. The other Shiba was curious and then sleeping peacefully in the corner. After some convincing (let's be honest -- I was already convinced), I said I'd take the one sleeping in the corner. With a couple of signatures and a PayPal donation transfer, I was taking a 2-month-old Shiba Inu to my apartment.

Every dog owner or professional dog trainer/groomer/etc. is probably reading this and saying this was an irresponsible, impulsive decision based on her cuteness. Trust me, I know. I was petrified. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't even know how to hold my dog, let alone train and take care of her. But I was ready for the responsibility. I waited practically my whole life for this opportunity to permanently bond with someone or something. Whether it was getting a dog or getting married and having a family, I spent a lot of my life waiting for this opportunity.

I named her Mochi because...well...she looks like a little ball of mochi. Plus, it's the name of Japanese food for a Japanese breed for a Japanese owner. Nothing was more fitting. Besides her name, everything about Mochi was fitting for my life. She's taught me how to make decisions, how to build communication, how to build routine and structure in my life, how to be patient, how to be stern...She gave me confidence as we walked everywhere together and she gave me comfort when I was feeling lonely. She is, by far, the best decision I've made in my entire life. She's also the biggest learning curve I've ever experienced...I even ignored my mom's calls and texts for 2 weeks because I was terrified to tell her the truth about getting a dog on a whim...

What Mochi really did was bring to light all the support I have in my life. I always have a hard time believing that my friends and family would back me up in any decision. But the amount of love and happiness that Mochi and I received at this point helped me realize that I never was alone, even when I felt my loneliest.

Was my mom upset? Yes, but because I was ignoring her. When I finally picked up the phone, she immediately knew that was why I wasn't answering her calls. Did she resist Mochi? Absolutely. Was it long until she was buying my dog gifts like she had a grandkid? Absolutely not. Was my brother ever really allergic to dogs? Who knows. Is my dad obsessed with her since he loves dogs? So obsessed. Mochi stole the hearts of everyone in my life and seamlessly became a Matsuo.