Why
are dogs considered man's best friend?
Maybe because they listen, but don't offer advice.
As a child, we had a wavy black
cocker spaniel. I remember a mostly happy childhood, but during my sad
times, Blackie became my friend and a good listener. She cried with me
as we sat in the backyard and I told her all my troubles as an
eight-year old.
Several years later, we owned a
light brown cocker. Taffy disappeared one day and we assumed someone
stole her.
Daddy decided to raise
Weimaraners, a hunting dog breed, so we moved to the country, rented
a ranch and bought a female named Lady. My father's adventure didn't last
more than a year because the first time Lady came in heat, Daddy tied
her in the horse trailer to keep any unwanted neighbor dogs away.
Most dogs do not appreciate being tied up and Lady didn't either. She
tried to make her escape, but the rope was too short. Daddy didn't
have the heart to continue with his dog business after that fatal
experience.
The ranch didn't have drinkable
water, so we returned to town. The former rental was still available,
so we purchased the house and moved back in. About two months later,
Taffy returned home. I missed her and I knew she obviously missed me by
the way she smiled and wagged her tail.
In 1980, my husband read an ad
in the paper advertising smooth collie pups for sale. Anyone who
watched the movie, Lassie,
knows how pretty and smart a collie is. But Craig was not familiar with the look of a smooth hair collie. As a puppy, her coat was short, but we
assumed the hair would grow. It didn't. Visualize a beautiful,
long-haired collie, then shave it. Not a pretty sight! We bought the
pup from a down-to-earth family. They named her Spinach. An odd
name, but we couldn't imagine a better one. She became a great family
dog and we called her Spin for short.
Other dogs came and went at our
home, but I hope these few stories took you back to your childhood or awakened memories of your best friend.
Happy Birthday, cousin Carolyn !
Juanita