Heart Thieves and Robbers
I have two Belgian Sheepdogs; Junior (left), Sandevel’s Get Out of Town Now, and Lily, Kennaree’s Lily the Hammer. Each has a large, expansive role in my consciousness and commands measures of love and attention most people only dream about.
So it is with the power of the canine.
Only one is the dog of my dreams.
Junior Comes to Town
Junior was 13 months old when he was spirited away from his canine mother and siblings to join our clan. The memories of that day, the look in his eyes, when I put him on a leash and walked him out the door to travel 600 miles to a new life. On a good day I tell myself he has a great life. On other days I feel like a kidnapper.
It’s a dog’s life.
Part of the Family
Junior bonded to me immediately and can make me feel more important and special than I have right to feel. Thick as thieves, we wander life together. In winter, summer, spring and fall, man and dog together, part of the family, part of the world.
Junior loves the snow. I used to.
Touching Roots
Nine months ago Lily the Hammer came to visit. Permanently. I’m not sure Junior realizes the connection to his roots. Lily is his niece, daughter of his sister Chloe, granddaughter of McKenna and Bing – Junior’s mother and father. Dogs work on you, slowly, consistently, inching their way into your life and then your heart, setting you up for catastrophic pain and anguish. The price of admission to the world of dogs
Each time I pay I swear the price is too dear. But in the cold, hard light of day – worth ever penny to have the dog of my dreams.
Handsome Man
Junior has a special presence. He knows things. He sees things. It’s the kind of stuff every dog owner says about their dog.
In this case, it’s true.
Really. Junior is the dog of my dreams.
And Lily plays the same role in Kim’s dreams…
Those are great pictures. I can’t imagine life without dogs. And we’ve only been a dog family since 2004, when I decided we needed one. They do steal your heart, don’t they? And, yes, it’s horrible when you have to say that last goodbye. But the love, laughter, and joy they bring on a daily basis is worthy every gut-wrenching tear.
Lovely post.
Dogs worm their way into a person’s life. Before you know it, if you’re not careful, you’re a dog zombie…
In my mind, as a cat lover (and owner, if there is such a thing with cats), I replaced every instance of the word ‘dog’ with ‘cat’, and it miraculously worked just as well. Except the snow-loving part – a minor, negligible detail…
I’ve been a cat slave in another life and aside from little details like the one you highlighted my experience with them was the same as it was with the dogs. Like a lot of things in life, if you stop and look closely and experience something it’s amazing what’s there.
Good pics of the dogs….probably would look better while sitting in a sidecar …… 🙂
Though I know you’ve tried it with Junior and he didn’t want any part of it I seem to recall.
I’ve tried three times to get him in a sidecar. No dice. If it were enclosed he would but not open to the air.
Beautiful pictures of the dogs. I wish I wasn’t allergic and that I actually had time for a dog. At least I can enjoy the photos and stories of others.
Thank you for sharing.
Dogs do consume time, energy and cash. They just finished playing a rousing game of “find the cookie” with my wife. Intense action as those noses search for Milkbone gold…
“Junior has a special presence. He knows things. He sees things. It’s the kind of stuff every dog owner says about their dog.”
This puts me in mind of my favorite Far Side strip: a man opens the door to the basement of his house, only to find his dog, at he bottom of the stairs, sitting at a table, in front of a typewriter, and the floor littered with crumpled wads of paper. The man looks down with a sardonic grin on his face; the dog looks back with a glowering stare, and says “I wouldn’t laugh, Jack…I know things about you.”
Cat person that I am, I have to say Junior is a treasure, and from his expressions truly “gets” you. Can’t ask for much more in this life.
Junior would never threaten me like that. He’s a quiet man who would keep secrets. It’s why he could never be a novelist!