This pandemic time has been unpleasant for everyone. I can't say my experience during the initial lockdown was bad though. I wasn't working since I wasn't considered essential so I spent a lot of time with my boyfriend, which in itself was an experience because we never knew what we could do or what was still open. We decided to see his family in another city about three hours away since their house is big and they have a theater room and a pool. We went down for two weeks, then found out my office would be shut down for a month. He was working from home at that point anyway so we decided to return home, grab clothes and things for the month, and head back down. He continued working from home and I was at a loss of what to do since I wasn't working and there was nothing remote that I did to earn money. We'd been researching dogs because I've always wanted a dog but never was in a situation to get one and he wanted a dog. He was at a place financially where he could get one and I could help with expenses, plus I could help with the dog. We looked up many dogs and had a few in mind we wanted. We weren't able to see any of them though because everything was shut down. Spending time with his family was fun although his dad was bored and amping up his theater room, which resulted in lots of noise and rattling of walls while he was figuring out his sound. His mom was on the phone a lot because she was working from home too. It was a loud time in my life but I enjoyed it. Back to the dog. My boyfriend found a shelter that was open and we found a dog at that location, then made an appointment to see it. We met this dog at the shelter and he immediately warmed to my boyfriend. We weren't with him that long before my boyfriend decided that he wanted to take him home. I rode in the back with the dog to the pet store because we didn't have supplies. We wanted a crate and bed for him. The shelter provided us with food and toys that would last a few days so we didn't need that right away. I was a little nervous on the ride because I didn't know what to expect from this dog. He lay in my arms contentedly the whole way though. He didn't bark or whine or anything. We got back to his parents and his mom helped the dog get comfortable with the area outside since we didn't know if he was potty trained (he wasn't). We quickly realized the crate was the wrong size because the dog is oddly proportioned. He doesn't look weird, and is really cute, but doesn't fit the average of the sizes. While my boyfriend was getting a crate and other supplies, the dog proved to be a tough chewer by chewing through four of the five toys the shelter had given us. We also quickly learned he wasn't potty trained. We identified that as the first thing we needed to teach him and he caught on quick. We learned over the next few days some things we needed to train or untrain. He was a lovable dog, but had quirks and definitely had personality. He also had separation anxiety. He's better but still needs a lot of work. Finding a toy that he didn't immediately tear up was a challenge. We didn't want something that we had to constantly watch him with but one that was fun that he could entertain himself with. We watched videos and read articles about toys and brands until figuring out what would work with him. Unfortunately they're expensive. The cheap stuffed animals just don't work. He proved to be quite an expensive little thing, but he's adorable and lovable. One thing we learned he liked to do was chew his bone on our feet, or leg if we were sitting. It's cute, but somewhat painful as his bone tends to develop sharp points that hurt when pressed into you. He likes constant contact, or at least to be in the same room as you and if he's not he's not happy. It's cute and makes you feel loved, but annoying when you can't leave the room or house without him whining or crying. We also learned he didn't like water. The first few days we tried to keep him from being too active or getting in the pool because he had just been neutered and wasn't supposed to get that area wet. We didn't realize until later that we didn't need to try to keep him out because he didn't want to go in. We managed to get him in the pool, but it was under distress and he immediately tried to get out. If one or both of us goes under the water though he looks like he wants to try to save us. Going through a lockdown during a pandemic isn't what I would call fun but staying in a nice house with a theater room, a pool, home cooked food, not having to pay for anything since we weren't going shopping and his parents were providing any take out wasn't something to complain about. I would say it was a mostly pleasant experience overall but the best thing to come out of it was adopting a dog. Learning new things about him and sharing life with him is definitely a challenge but it's all worth it and I wouldn't change the experience at all.