😱 If you were afraid of dogs, could you bring one home?
“I remember when I first came to America, it wasn’t natural to me to see people with dogs. The idea of having a pet wasn’t something we ever thought about… I didn’t grow up seeing those kinds of relationships with pets.
I think what happened when I got Nala is that naturally, I started to truly see dogs and then when you see them, then you treat them differently.”
The way we walk through life is often influenced by experiences that shaped us during our younger years.
An overarching cultural view or single “negative” experience with an animal can cause anything from a neutral feeling toward them to a deep-seated fear that takes a conscious effort to move past.
Then, when we grow older, we might not be open to receiving the love a pet can give right away.
After someone close to him encouraged him to be open to the idea, Tega Dibie–creator of Da Boy & Nala–set aside many of his long-held fears about dogs and decided to take a chance on one of his own.
And by pushing through the fear and embracing curiosity, he soon realized how much joy a dog can bring to our lives… And even change how we see ourselves.
The moment he never thought would happen
“I had that initial visit to go see Nala, and she was so small. She was the smallest of her litter. At 3 or 4 weeks, she could fit into the palm of my hand, that’s how tiny she was…
From the very beginning, I had a connection to her but I was still psychologically dealing with that fear.”
When Tega stood there holding this tiny Shichon (a Shih Tzu-Bichon Frise mix), there was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions in his mind.
This moment became an unlikely reality for a man who spent the first 17 years of his life in Nigeria.
Growing up, having a dog as a close household companion wasn’t something Tega commonly saw.
In his experience, dogs were more commonly associated with protection than companionship.
In many cases, they were kept out of sight during the day and then let out at night to guard a home or property.
On top of that, when Tega was young, he witnessed his mother getting attacked by a dog.
With this specific experience, and a cultural view of what a dog’s purpose was, the fact he was now holding a weeks-old puppy in his hands felt surreal.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
And in a couple more months, this little puppy, Nala, would be living in his home.
The lifestyle–and mindset–shift that Nala influenced
“That moment when I was first holding her, I didn’t know what I was doing. But a month or so before she came home, I started doing my research and I had everything she needed in the house…
I made sure to take care of the essentials–She was always well fed, I made sure she was clean, I potty trained her… But I also just went with the flow a little bit.”
When Nala first came home, Tega didn’t realize how much time it would take to properly raise a puppy.
Because he works from home, he was able to establish frequent potty breaks and socialization from the get go.
The process itself wasn’t challenging. What was most difficult was that his time wasn’t just his anymore.
Especially during the puppy stages, his sleep was often affected. He also couldn’t make plans or go out on a whim anymore because he had a young puppy who relied on him.
At first, he felt a little restricted, wondering if this was the right choice. But then he remembered the commitment he made to Nala.
“The key thing was understanding, how do I actually make this realistically work with my lifestyle? It was all about just learning her and also learning what she needed very quickly.”
From there, Tega started making slow, intentional changes.
Integrating Nala into his routines and thinking about them as their routine was a huge shift.
He started taking her on walks around the entire greater Phoenix area, where he would map out new places and scenic pathways for them to explore.
He established her hygiene routine to work right alongside his. Every night, she gets her skin and fur wiped down, teeth brushed, and a little spritz of doggy perfume. Then, Tega moves to his own skincare regimen.
And even though he feels this connection in his day-to-day life…
There was one pivotal moment that made Tega realize he’d do anything for this dog.
A pivotal moment in his pet parenthood journey
“During that drive to the emergency vet, I had this feeling that she was destined for something special and that it was bigger than me. I also think that was the first time where I realized that this was my dog, and I'm really just playing a character in this whole story. And the story is really about her.”
When we have a pet, the last thing we want to experience is a health scare.
And when Tega realized something was wrong with Nala, it only confirmed his commitment and love for her.
For a period of time, Nala was being a little picky about her food (small dog parents out there can probably attest to that!).
To encourage her to eat, Tega offered her different kinds of foods, tried creating fun games out of mealtime, and even got her on a special vet-prescribed diet for a while.
Nothing worked.
On one day in particular, Tega had gone through the steps of trying to get her to eat and even cooked some chicken and rice. She ate a little chicken. Progress!
Later that day, after they took their regular afternoon nap, Tega realized something was wrong. She had vomited and then just a few minutes later, she was unresponsive.
Thinking quickly (and knowing how long it takes to get to the emergency vet), he looked up her symptoms, and since he’d been tracking them for a while, was able to get some answers fairly quickly.
It appeared Nala’s blood sugar was extremely low. Putting some honey on his finger, he placed it in her mouth and a few moments later, she snapped back to awareness.
He rushed her to the emergency vet to make sure she was stable and okay, and the entire trip there, his mind was racing.
Just months earlier, he was questioning if taking her home was the right choice. Now, he didn’t feel taking care of her was something he had to do–It was something he wanted to do.
“When I was going to the vet with her, I realized that part of my calling is to give her the best possible life. It was a mindset shift that I realized, ‘This is part of your journey and you're so blessed to have her’ and everything changed from there.”
Life is better with Nala in it
“She reminds me that I’m loved and she reminds me that there's more to life than what I’m experiencing just in that moment. Her presence is everything to me.”
Being an extrovert and working from home, the interactions that energize Tega can sometimes be lacking during the day.
Nala’s gentle presence gives some of that back to him. While he’s working, it’s as if she understands he’s busy. She’ll lay next to his leg or in his lap, just keeping him company during the day.
When he comes back from the gym, she greets him with a little tippy toe hug while he holds her.
He’s given in to her desire to ‘kiss’ his face, and now gives them multiple times a day–When they walk, at mealtime… Whenever she wants to show that extra touch of affection.
“Those day-to-day things that she does just amaze me and remind me that I'm seen by this little dog and regardless of what's going on, there's someone that requires my attention… She's there, and keeps me grounded.”
Because of the role he plays in her life, Tega’s found himself becoming more patient and softer.
He’s taken her out to meet up with other dogs and, over time, has become more open to interacting with them as well.
And as this bond has strengthened over the past year (she’s still young!), he has also realized how Nala has opened his mind to new possibilities.
Being a more “structured” person, he had his mind set on a path that led him to various successes in life.
Now, he finds himself welcoming in changes of perspective, where he might try something he never planned on doing.
To capture this love for Nala, he created a brand (Da Boy & Nala) that emphasizes this connection one can only feel with a beloved companion…
Something he never imagined would be part of his life’s journey.
“When you meet a dog you fall in love with that dog, you're unsure if the responsibility is too much. It takes away from some of the things that you think you really love…
Then there’s a moment that tells you everything you need to know: This is your dog, this is your mission, this is your calling… and you embrace it. From there, you have this amazing journey with all types of routines filled with a kind of love you never could’ve imagined.”
Whether you’re a long time animal lover or your commitment to pets is new, you know that with routine, love, and care, they’ll truly thrive.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.
Discover how the process works or book a call directly with Sean, our founder and CEO, to see what a plan could look like for you.
