Adam taught me that dog stereotypes, such as the whole "bully breed" stereotype, are ridiculous, and that no matter the breed, the owner is what makes the difference in a dog's behavior. He had some of the best owners a dog can have. Yes, Adam was protective, but in the sweetest way possible; sleeping on the ground next to the bed every night, standing strong next to you, teaching Ronnie (Mastiff mix) what he knows best, and being ever so patient with Rusty's (Maltese mix) energetic self.
Hunter taught me to stop and smell the flowers, literally! On walks we had to stop and smell every plant. :) He also taught me that dogs know who you are. He knew he was safe with me, even though I was not his Mom. He knew I would love him and care for him while she was gone. There was a loyalty and trust that came with that, that you do not get to see all the time with dogs that are not yours.
Darla. Tears come to my eyes when I think of her, still. Sweet, yet sassy. She was so perceptive to what was going on around her. She felt your emotion and she wore her own emotions on her sleeve. She was a stray before a rescue found her, and our family adopted her. She was only a year old when we got her, and she had already been through so much. I miss her most when I am upset or sick, because she would be right there to snuggle and console you. Always Nurse Darla.
Now, I have two more very special dogs in my life. One I have known for almost 7 years now and another that came into my life about 8 months ago. Little Sophie (Poodle Maltese mix), who my family adopted after Darla passed away last September, is just a little ball of sunshine. She is sweet, scrappy and has so much energy! She has taught me how sweet dogs can be. And then there is Ozzie, 7 years ago in September, I met him as a puppy. We have never lived close, but I was ever so happy to see him when I got to. I got to watch him grow up into a handsome, happy dog. He came to us in March, after Jimi's sister had two kids. Ozzie is a Border Collie, his first instinct is to keep everyone in line, to herd everything that moves. He is constantly trying to herd our cats and he has taken up weekly sheep herding with his Grammy, Cathy. He is always so happy, and excited about everything, like everything is his favorite thing. I have been trying over the past couple of months to take a lesson from him, to just be happy, or try to stay positive about every situation. Life can be simple sometimes, it doesn't always have to be so complicated, take a note from some of your favorite dogs and enjoy the things you love to do as often as you can.
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| From top left: Rusty and Sophie, Ozzie (Photo Credit: Stephen Pagano), Hunter and I, Darla and I, Adam and Ronnie. |
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