My husband Joe and I have been married now for 43 years... and over that time, we've had the pleasure of caring for five dogs... all very different in their personalities, but all very very lovable!
Our first dog came unexpectedly!... a cute Miniature Schnauzer named Jonathan. Friends of ours were going overseas as missionaries and were not able to take their dog along with them. So Jonathan came to live with us at our house. At the time, our oldest son Ben was only two years old, and I was definitely NOT looking for a dog! Ben was a handful!... an extroverted, busy, into-everything toddler with a mind of his own! When Jonathan arrived at our house, Ben made it his job to chase Jonathan around the house, trying to pull his tail. My job became running around after Ben trying to protect Jonathan!... Crazy Mom Life!! My mother-in-law was fond of saying that Jonathan was a "jaunty little fella"... and he really was!
Next came Salem (named after our hometown, Winston-Salem). My husband saw her featured on the local news, a brand new puppy from the Humane Society. We took our boys over to see her and (of course!) fell in love with her! She was the runt of her litter... a chow mix with a beautiful auburn coat. What we didn't know at the time was that she had terrible separation anxiety, was very territorial and was dreadfully afraid of thunderstorms! When the mailman came to the door each day, she barked and barked in an effort to protect our home from outside invaders! Still, she was wonderful with our boys and was a great companion to them during their growing up years. Years later, Salem is probably the dog my sons both remember the best.
After both the boys had headed off to college and beyond, our house felt very empty. So I hunted online and found a black lab named Winnie at a lab rescue group here in North Carolina. Winnie was really sick when she was rescued. We suspect she'd been raised as a breeding dog, and when her usefulness as a puppy producer was over, she was abandoned. She had fleas and ticks and needed treatment for heartworms... but from the very first, Winnie was a "love bug!" Of all the dogs we've owned, I think I've been closest to Winnie. Joe traveled a lot during that time... and she was my gentle, faithful companion at home. There are some dogs who are more than just dogs... It seems like they see into your soul. And that's who Winnie was for me.
Jake came into our lives as a puppy... and boy was he difficult to train! We had gotten him through the same lab rescue group, and assumed he had at least some lab in him... but he started growing so fast that we soon suspected he wasn't a lab mix at all. I guess his silver gray coat should have clued us in! One of his litter mates had a DNA test, and it turned out that the puppy was a mix of Great Dane, Collie, Husky and German Shepherd... and not a drop of Lab in him! So we assume that Jake has the same lineage. We took him to a local puppy training class and he failed miserably!... So Joe very diligently and patiently taught him to walk nicely on a leash, to come when called, and lots of other essential puppy tricks. Eventually Jake settled in here at home, and he's been a joy!... although his hard-headedness and ninety-five pound size continue to be a challenge at times. He's in love with the bunnies that sometimes hop around in our back yard, and can't get enough people attention when we have visitors. He's an extroverted dog in a home full of introverts!
We never planned to have two dogs at a time... but when both my parents passed away within nine months of each other, we brought their Labradoodle Shadow home to stay with us. Shadow was nine years old at the time.She had not received the care she needed at my parents' house. She was very overweight and unkept. We took her to our vet and learned she needed to have several teeth removed and that she had a thyroid condition that required medication. On top of that, she had arthritis that made it difficult for her to get around well. So, at the vet's suggestion, we put her on a diet and started walking her so she would shed some pounds. Twenty-five or so pounds later, Shadow is a frisky old lady who loves to play with Jake out on our deck. Shadow has never met a food she didn't want to eat, so we always need to keep a watch to be sure she doesn't steal Jake's food. She seems to have an inner alarm clock that tells her it's 5:00 and time for dinner. It has taken a while, but now she's perfectly comfortable and happy at our house.
There have been so many joys for us in caring for the different dogs God has brought into our life!... but there has also been sadness as we've had to say goodbye to some too due to sickness and age. That's the hard part about being a dog owner... You risk having your heart broken when they need to leave this earth. Still, I know that for me the risk of hurt is far outweighed by the joy I've found in loving our dogs! I'm grateful for each waggly tail and sloppy kiss I've received by being willing to be a Dog Mom!
Are you a Dog Person too???... I'd LOVE to hear about your furry friends!!
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