I’m a day late on National Dog Day. But it would be absolutely not right of me to not write a little bit about how dogs have impacted my life.
I’m an only child. I grew up very happily with dogs by my side. Our very first dog’s name was Puddin Pie, a collie mix. She saw me to bus stop every morning when I first started school. I used to eat her dog food when I was in the single digits, until one day it finally made me sick and I threw up. That ended fast. I used to pretend I was a dog named “Lightning.” My grandmother would serve me up some “kibble” and I’d happily eat on the floor. I’ve had such a strong connection with dogs my entire life.
I think of the dogs that have been in my life, and my heart warms immediately. Max. Benson. Clara. Mel. Chaco. Booger. Bo. Just to name a few.
Dogs are absolutely pure. They are there to love. They don’t care about the drama. They don’t care about what you’ve done. They don’t take sides. They’re there to love you. Plain and simple.
I’ve owned multiple breeds of dogs, but I think the one that settles in my heart the best is the border collie. I’ve had three of them reside in my heart: Rosie, Lucy, and Estes. One thing about border collies, you can’t be a lazy owner. They are also so sensitive. They are the smartest breed I’ve ever been around, which sometimes gets them into trouble. They don’t like to be man-handled. And sometimes, they only like a handful of people. My neighbor, Doug, used to use border collies to work his cows. He always had them in the back of his truck. I used to want to pet them so badly, but he rarely let me. He used to say, if you start loving on a border collie, it won’t be worth anything! Well, he might be right -mine sure can’t work cows! Ha!
Rosie worked horses with me. She dutifully snapped at their feet as they ran circles around the round pen. She was our first border collie. We got her for my dad, but she loved coming out with me during the week and “helping” me with the horses.
Lucy was a worker. She never stopped. I taught her trick after trick, but her favorite thing was chasing the frisbee, or, honestly, anything that moved quickly.
Then, there’s Miss Essie Mae. Estes Marie. Tiddy Biddy. Sweetheart girl. The list goes on and on – as you dog-lovers know. She’s my current heart throb, oh, I mean dog, no, total heart throb. Essie has a special story. Estes is a red merle border collie. I got her about a week before I was diagnosed with cancer. I was so nervous going to pick her up. We drove to get her during the covid height. She was born in Louisiana, so she was totally smuggled across state lines. I was worried that we wouldn’t “hit it off.” But the moment she got carried to me, we looked in each other’s eyes and it was love. I absolutely do believe in love at first sight, because it happened that day.
She was also Lily’s first full-time dog. First puppy to really tend to. She hadn’t been around a dog day in and day out. She didn’t want a border collie – had no desire. Lucy could be a bit busy and standoff-ish. Lily fell in love with her immediately too.
Every single morning, I’d take Essie to the trail to go for a walk, even in the middle of rough chemo. I took a few days off during surgery, but then we were back at it. She got me up. She kept me moving.
Estes has a neurological disorder. We noticed it when she was very young. She would get very dizzy when she shook her head. It’s a progressive disease. She’s three now, and some days are very hard for her to get around. She’s not suffering though, and she’s so happy. She just has to walk a bit differently than most dogs. I hate that she can’t run like she wants. One of my daydreams is to meet Essie in Heaven, both of our bodies completely well, and see her running faster than any of my other dogs I’ve ever had. I would love that. I have no idea if dogs go to Heaven – the movie says so, but in my mind, I’d love that so much. I’ve lived my life with dogs, and I’d hate to spend eternity without them.
I wrote something once about dogs. I couldn’t find it – It’s probably on some random page in some random notebook (Lauri, you’ll understand this). I had made a couple of points. First of all, it’s so horrible that dogs have such a short lifespan. I’m 46, and I’ve loved and lost SO many dogs. I loved them all wholeheartedly. But as much as I love my dogs, I think my dogs love me even more. I’m so glad none of them have ever had to lose me. Second, I think God gave us a preview of the contentedness of Heaven. Dogs are so happy being with their master. That’s all they want in the world. Sure, they love toys and treats and walks, but only with their master. I think we will feel the same. So happy to be next to our Master.
And then, of course, there are the dog people. I love dog people. You can spot them anywhere. If you have your dog, they have to come pet it because they miss theirs. They understand dogs. Dogs are not just window dressing for their lives, they’re a major part of their lives. They speak the language. They’ve got hair on them, and they don’t care. They pick up poop. They lay in the floor. They wholeheartedly love their dogs.
So, to my very loved and very special dogs, I say, Happy Dog Day. I thank God for the wonderful gift of dogs. The act of tail-wagging, alone, is the best thing ever. They have added so much to my life. My dogs know everything about me. They’ve counseled me through many phases in my life. They’ve listened to me when no one was around. They’ve snuggled me through a good cry. They’ve gotten me up and at it when I really didn’t want to. They've loved me where I am, no matter what. They've always shown up for me, over and over. I thank God for each and every one of you tail-wagging blessings. I love you all so much.
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