I have had dogs my entire life. If they weren’t living with me, I was close to friends and family that had them, or my own immediate family had dogs as pets. They were all shapes and sizes, old, young, large, and of course, the yippee small ones. It dawned on me the other morning when I get up and my younger dog had nestled himself into a block of lead against my leg that dogs really bring so many of life’s lessons to you. You have to listen of course.
We got Leo after Zach graduated from high school for many reasons. One reason we looked for another was that our older dog Susie had been with Samson most of her life. When he was no longer around, we thought it would be nice for her to have another companion during the long days when no one is there. Another was the concern that Dad would be lonely without the guys around the house. I think that was and still is probably true. I love my sons, and they have enriched my life more than I can possibly write about. I looked and looked in the paper, on line, at the animal shelter websites, and about any other place I could find. I decided I wanted a dog like Susie, our schnauzer-poo, because her temperament is amazing, she sheds little, and is a smart dog. After several attempts, we stumbled upon Leo who was an Iowan farm flood survivor, only 7 weeks old, and very, very small. Zach thought the name Leonidas ( leader of the 300 doomed Spartans) would be fit for a little puppy that had survived so much already.
Enough of the history; here is what I know about what I have learned from my dogs. Samson was our first dog with the boys. A border collie black lab cross, Sam taught me grace in old age. His last few years of life were difficult for him and for us as well as we had to make decisions about the quality of his life. Sam was gentle in the face of pain. He would sleep in the same spot and wake up and wag his tail no matter what. When we made the decision to put Sam asleep, it truly was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Having buried both of my parents, losing my first dog was heart wrenching. The afternoon when we returned home, the day was full of Sam stories. A fitting tribute to a great dog. The lessons: when you leave, make sure people speak well of you and love is patient.
Susie has always been of great temperament. Even as she gets older and more and more the velvet tube (as she is fondly called after grooming), she hears the garage door go up, immediately senses Louise is home, barks at the top of here lungs, and wags the tail so vigorously that anything close could be battered! She adapted quickly to Leo invading her space and comfortably spars with him over the stuffed toys Rick brings home every now and then. No longer able to jump up on our bed, she has her spot in the hall, back to the wall where she guards all three bedrooms in our house. She has this great floppy eared terrier look that instantly can cheer up the gloomiest of days. As she gets older, we all pay attention to the little changes in her knowing that she has blessed our days with her loyalty and unflinching love. The lesson: love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
From the moment we brought Leo home, he has curled up and nestled against any body that is available. Louise contends that he was weaned too soon and needs that reassurance that his siblings in the litter provided. Every morning when I wake up, Leo is nestled close to me, not matter how many times I may have shoved him aside in the middle of the night; he is faithfully there. From the times when he was a puppy, there has been no other dog that can melt a heart like Leo. He knows how to pose for the camera, has a playfully mischievous look, and can make your day a whole lot better with a simple tilt of his head. He stands guard at the window watching the house like a sentry with a shrill bark. He can take Susie from a complacent older dog to a dog with vigor and gusto by simply grabbing the toy she has, tugging it and running away with it. He has added years to many of us. The lesson: love is not arrogant but perserveres.
The unique thing about dogs is they do all this without being taught to do it. They are inherently loyal, energetic, emotionally manipulative, and undyingly loving. In Marley and Me, John Grogan writes, “A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”
WOOF
Keith
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