Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Happy Gotcha Day Delilah!

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It was Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and exactly five years ago today, when you joined our family.  Quite honestly I had no idea what we were in for.

We had agreed to a two-week foster-to-adopt contract, just to make sure you were the right fit for our family.

That first day was horrific, you were wild, crazy and out of control.  I cried on and off the entire day, and was fairly certain you weren’t the right dog for us.

What we wanted was a companion for Sampson, someone to keep him company and play with him while we were at work.  But most of that first day Sampson wanted nothing to do with you, which made me cry harder.  Of course when you two finally started to play, you guessed it.  I cried some more.

That first day I don’t think I really liked you.  In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to keep you.  But after dinner you sat in the kitchen and your eyes would close, but you wouldn’t give in to sleep.  It was almost as if you felt like if you fell asleep you would wake up and it would all be a dream.   It was at that moment my heart melted.

I felt so bad for you.  I looked at the harsh scars on your feet and wondered how many humans had failed you already in your short life and vowed then and there that I wouldn’t be another one.  I called you to me and coaxed you to lie down and finally you slept.

You’ve given me a run for my money these past five years,  but along the way I’ve learned a lot from you.

I’ve learned that giving up is not an option.

There is more than one way to get what you want.

Embrace life, live it to the fullest and do it with enthusiasm and joy.

Meet your challenges head on, no shying away.

If you have a bad day it’s OK, tomorrow is a new day, you can start it with a clean slate.

I’ve learned that even if you are afraid, come out fighting.  If you look and act like the biggest and baddest most everyone believes you are.

Almost every problem can be solved with a piece of dried liver.

We’ve been through a lot these past five years, sometimes when I think about how far you’ve come, I’m overwhelmed with your progress.  You really are pretty amazing and I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world.

Happy Gotcha Day Delilah, I’m sure glad we did.

You and me on your first day. Notice my red rimmed eyes.

Aliens Took My Dog

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That’s exactly what I thought yesterday morning.

While I was in the bathroom getting ready for work Delilah came in.  I pulled out my rug and threw it on the floor and said, “Down.”

Down she went.

I told her to stay, so she got herself all comfy and stayed.

Granted it wasn’t good enough for a show stay, but she did stay.  Even when I left the bathroom and went to check to see if my eggs were boiling.

Once I released her we went to the kitchen to get breakfast.  Even though she was dancing and jumping until we got there, she sat at the edge of the kitchen and waited while I got her breakfast.

She didn’t move once.

After breakfast the eggs were ready to be peeled. This can take me about 10 minutes because 1) I peel them while they are hot and 2) I make all my breakfast eggs at the beginning of the week, I also make a few for Hubby which means I made 14 eggs yesterday morning.

I peel the eggs directly over the garbage can.  Sometimes Delilah’s right there with me, trying to reach into the garbage and take out what I’m putting in there.

Not yesterday morning.

While I was peeling eggs Delilah sat in the doorway watching me.   At one point a piece of shell flew off and landed on the floor, I watched her from the corner of my eye.  She looked at it and then made the decision to leave it.

A minute or two later she looked at it again and I saw her head move as if she was going to get up and I said, “ACK,” and she left it alone.

I had no other options than to 1) reward her for such excellent behavior and 2) come to the conclusion that aliens had taken my dog.

Never fear, they brought her back late in the afternoon.

Just in time to help me make dinner.

How did your Monday go?

Follow-Up Friday

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For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog.  Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you.  Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby! :-)

To Boldly Go Where No Dog Has Gone Before – Update

Apparently M & M always leave their garage door open….when I took the dogs up on Monday evening for their walk, the garage door was open again.

Of course without Delilah being in the garage, I had the chance to whip out my camera and take a picture.

Really ladies, you live in an area where coyotes and fishers live, maybe you want to keep your garage door shut?  It will definitely help keep predators out…..

And wandering chocolate labs.

Which Would Scare You? – Author’s Note

Many of you said the geeky guy would scare you.  Yes, you should be wary of all strangers, although with two dogs I think I’m decently safe, but stranger things have happened.

As Kari from Hound Girl stated, “LOL the nerdy creepy guys are the quiet ones that take people and cut them up and put them in the freezer hahah.”

Yup, you got that right.

It’s Not All About Delilah – Author’s Note

We have a lot of lovely hiking trails in my area.  Sadly we don’t frequent them as much since Delilah joined our pack.  I am going to start nagging gently suggesting to Hubby that we try at least once every couple of weeks to experience some of the other trails.

Sampson really did love them and I don’t think it’s fair that he can’t enjoy the things he loves because a certain someone can’t behave.  I will be content to walk our trails with Delilah on leash.

Or course, this will be after we get our investment house ready for tenants.

W.T.F. Wednesday – Author’s Note

I got the idea for WTF Wednesday from Kari at Hound Girl.  I saw her make a WTF Wednesday post and didn’t realize it was an ongoing feature already being done by Mango and Dexter.

Of course I need to give props where props are due, so Mango and Dexter, hats off to you!  If you are not the originators of WTF Wednesday somebody please let me know just who the f*ck is.

I have no updates on any of the stories highlighted in WTF Wednesday but I did forget another story.

This W.T.F. was from fellow blogger.

Sherri at Woman’s Best Friend posted that she and her GS (Samson) were entering their apartment building as a woman with her children were exiting the elevator.

As they approached each other the older child pointed at Samson and said, “Nasty. Nasty Dog” and the mom just smiled.

W.T.F. lady, I really don’t feel like being the one to educate your stupid ass, but let me remind you that some people PREFER their dogs over people and yes, believe it or not some people actually think….children are nasty.

You should take the opportunity to educate your child the proper way to approach and respect, yes, yes I said RESPECT dogs.

How would you feel if someone pointed at your child and said, “Nasty child?”

Don’t. Try. Me.

This is not part of Follow-up Friday but I wanted to share.

Tomorrow I will be participating in a Labs 4 Rescue Adoption event at the Mellow Mutt.  If you (or someone you know) are looking for a forever friend, there will be 15 labs up for adoption tomorrow.

I have a personal goal to place 15 labs.  Naturally there will be pictures. 🙂

Catch you later!

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