My granddaughter has been dreaming of getting a dog. As you may recall from earlier articles I once had a dog phobia. This fear was inherited from my mom, who inherited it from her mom, and I am not totally reformed.

This, of course, may seem incongruous with what is a most common sight on the streets of Teaneck today, where every 12 year old is seen walking with their Australian Silky Terrier. I am proud to say that I no longer have to cross the street to avoid “Fido,” as given the realities of my work, I have shifted my mindset towards domesticated animals as many of my sellers have pets.

As a child my relationship with pets was ambivalent at best. My brother and I each had a turtle and we often had them race with each other across the   living room. They both eventually died from exhaustion and we held a burial service in our tiny backyard in Brooklyn. I then was gifted on Chanukah with a parakeet which was also stationed in our living room. One Friday afternoon I gave her a piece of challah as a Shabbos treat and she choked. Our backyard was beginning to look like a graveyard. (If you are planning to sell your home do not bury your pets with a headstone!)

Married, with kids, the only pets we ever had were goldfish. I am very proud that my granddaughter loves animals and, if she does get a dog, I will welcome it with open arms—unless it is a Doberman Pinscher! My husband, on the other hand, is a different story. I have already been told that he will not be happy about this. He actually tried to pull the following: “A dog will lower the value of the house!”

Nechama Polak is the broker of record and owner of V&N Group LLC,
located at 1401 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck. Send your thoughts and comments to [email protected] or call 201 826 8809.