The dogs in our lives!

Ky and I were talking about the many, MANY dogs that we have had in our lives. I guess I inherited my mothers love for dogs, she raised them. As a child I remember the many litters of puppies we had that she sold. I believe she used the money for helping my brothers go on missions and buying my father power tools. (She wanted projects done! )Sometimes a puppy was having trouble breathing right after birth. My mother would pick it up and rub it with a paper towel and blow into its nose and mouth. I was always so happy when the puppy started breathing, and extremely sad when it didn't. Often she would hand us one to rub and dry while she helped deliver the next one coming. I loved the days when puppies were born. The elementary school we went to was right across the street from our house. Many of my friends have commented to me that they remember the "field trips" to our house to see the puppies.

I remember one time when my mother had two boston terriers out in the yard and they started to fight. My mother wasn't going to let them hurt each other, they were pets yes, but they were money down the road too. So in went my mother to break them up, beating on each one looking madder than either of them did. One of them bit into her upper arm and DIDN"T LET GO. I was horrified. My mother got even madder, whacked the dog off and we got her bandaged up. I remember clearly her telling me never to break up a dog fight that way (as if I needed to be told!) She said to always use a hose. From then on she did too!

My dog as a girl growing up was Candy, a white toy poodle. She slept on my bed and loved me unconditionally. That's the best thing about dogs, they love you no matter what. We also had a standard apricot poodle that could open doors with her paws.

When Ky and I got married we decided to get a dog. (I'm not really sure how thrilled Ky was that his wife was a dog person but he's adjusted well through the years.) We answered an add for "free" puppies. Just the right price! We fell in love with a little black and white puppy that was so cute. As she grew up she wasn't so cute but we love her anyway. We named her Meisje. That means girl in dutch.

After a couple of years, Ky came home from work one night with a beautiful little puppy. He had found her wandering around a busy street. She needed some vet help and food and love. She will always be the best dog to Ky. We named her Cinnaman.

We weren't able to have children for over 6 years so these sweet dogs became our kids. The went everywhere with us and we loved them.

Meisje got sick and we had to put her to sleep. When I had Jeni I couldn't stand the dirty floor with a baby crawling on it so we found a good family with older children for Cinnaman. That was hard but better for all at that time.

Then later came, Buffy a very hyper cocker spaniel, then a labrador whose name I can't even remember that ate the siding on our house and then Patches. She was a beagle that tried to break free from the "prison" of our back yard every chance she got. We were finding out that good dogs didn't always come along. (Maybe we didn't take the time to train them either!) Anyway we found good homes for them and they didn't last long.

Then came Shami. She was a golden retriever. One of my favorite memories of her was seeing Matt laying his head on her while he watched TV. She loved him. One day she and Matt found a freshly dug gopher hole. Matt was checking it out and the stupid gopher bit him. After I had taken him in and given him the first aid he needed I went back out with a shovel to kill the ignorant rodent. When I got back out, there was a much bigger hole and Shami eating a very dead gopher. She got him before I did!!

Then we got Macyee. She's a bicon frise. We tried to get dogs that would'nt shed because of our grandbabies. She's loved me through a lot of times I needed unconditional love too. Then about 3 years ago we got Trooper. We kind of stumbled onto him in New York. He traveled home with us on the plane in a carry on bag under our feet. Thus the name Trooper, he really was. He has to be the most loving dog we have ever owned. He's a golden doodle. A cross between a standard poodle and a golden retriever. The only problem with him is he thinks he's a lap dog and he's really not.

Dogs are messy things. You have to be slightly unbalanced to have house dogs. Just ask my son-in-law! Sometimes I wonder why I like them at all especially when I come home and there is mud all over my bedspread and rug. But then when I get a little down, Trooper or Maycee will crawl in my lap and their love makes things better.

I'm glad the Lord made dogs. Assuming I get to heaven I hope I can have enough property to get to have my dogs I had here plus some of the other breeds I would like to try. Maybe there mud and dirt won't be such a problem!