I’ve considered getting a dog for some time.

For many years, as a renter, it was out of the question. Well into my fifties, buying a condo in a residential neighborhood became financially do-able and the thought of having a dog came back on my radar.

A special companion. A playmate. A source of unconditional love. These are the promised benefits. I’ve seen many people who wouldn’t seem to be dog people become raving fans.

There’s an allure to taking in a shelter pup and giving a home to an orphan. There’s an unspoken understanding that while you might be giving a pooch a corner on your floor and an unlimited supply of kibbles, the dog is actually giving you something more.

I first read the classic children’s book Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) in high school French class. It’s about a pilot stranded on a desert meeting a little prince who had fallen to earth from an asteroid.

A fox, that provides a very philosophical perspective in the story, makes a remark that says so much about all relationships.

“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”

I thought of this story when I decided to get a dog. Some friends cautioned me that I couldn’t date or be as free about social opportunities if I was a dog-owner.

But there are many joys in being responsible to another. It’s easy to think about how your freedom might be limited when you have to be home for an evening walk (toilet break) or make sure special arrangements are made for out of town trips.

But the opportunity to live from the heart, which is the natural byproduct of taking care of the right type of animal, so outweighs the shortcomings of having slightly fewer spontaneous excursions.

And of course with TAMING a pet, making it YOURS because of the care you’re willing to invest in the relationship, comes with naming rights.

I used to have a fantasy that I would adopt a dog and name him Coltrane after jazz great John Coltrane. I liked the name itself. I could use truncated versions Cole or Trane.

I liked the idea that one of Coltrane’s most famous albums was A Love Supreme and that was what I hoped to experience with my pet.

As I was growing up, my family always had a dog. I helped with walks and feeding, but my mother was ultimately responsible. When I think about it, Buster and Dusty were hers.

Recently, a friend introduced me to a dog she was fostering, a spaniel-poodle mix, 1-2 years old; a girl. She thought I might be interested.

Not what I expected (since all the dogs in my family were males). The name Coltrane just didn’t feel right any more. But I liked her personality and knew right away it was worth a shot.

I never had children and I don’t think of a dog as a surrogate a child, but in gearing up for this new experience, I have been feeling anxious like a first-time mother. How I will do on the learning curve?

I imagine I will discover new depths of patience, new ways to set healthy boundaries and will cultivate the ability to understand another’s wants without having to rely on words.

I named her India. Full of heart and energy – and very much a mystery.

Allowing yourself to open your heart and be tamed by the very being you are hoping to TAME is no small thing.