A HEARTBEAT AT MY FEET

From having a tea party with my dog in a high chair to the present time, dogs have always been such an important part of my life, they can fill an emptiness that you didn't even know you had. Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love,  and when they depart, they teach us about loss.  A new dog never replaces the old dog, they merely expand the heart.  Each and every dog I have owned has a piece of my heart and maybe someday my heart will be as loving as a dog.  I remember my precious 70 lb. Lassie Collie by the name of Brandy that licked my tears away after my open-heart surgery, and never left my side.  He was so human that at the end of his life when he could no longer stand and we had to take him to visit Rainbow Ridge, he stood up for the first time in weeks and looked out the back window of our jeep for one last look at the home he loved so much while little Charlie, our Bischon who never was separated from Brandy, did not try to jump in the jeep with us as he always had in the past, he just sat on the steps and watched us go down the hill...dogs know!!   Brandy was the perfect dog, at least that's how I will always remember him.  He set my standard by which I have judged all other dogs to come.

The last dog I had was a rescue by the name of Riley.  Hers was such a sad story that no animal should ever have to experience. She was left in a crate for the first 4 years of her life, never socialized and as hard as Sam and I tried for over three years with some of the best training schools, we could not remove the aggression she had for other dogs.  We loved her so much and she loved us, but it was too late for us to undo the abuse she endured the first four years of her life.  She was always on guard protecting us and never would allow other dogs near us.  One horrible day she hurt a small dog and bit a lady just because they walked toward me.  We had to bear the hard fact that it was time to send her to Rainbow Ridge.  Now when I look back at pictures of her, I always see a tear in her eye where all the other dogs that I raised from puppies always had smiles.  I hope she finally is playing and enjoying life on Rainbow Ridge, free of the hurt she endured the first four years of her life.  

There was a German Shepard by the name of Ranger, that guarded my little boys just like a mother or father would.  I can still see him steering them away from trouble and when they would fall down, he would lay beside them.   Another Collie by the name of Sean that even made it to my oldest son's senior yearbook as he was so well-loved by the Senior Class of 1983 at Pitman HS in Pitman, NJ.

Now we have a new heartbeat at my feet by the name of Gus.  Gus is a Bernadoodle which is a mix of a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle.  What a joy to once again have a puppy that will, I'm certain bring stories of his own.  I am once again playing "puppy fetch" and tug of war in the living room while introducing him to all size dogs, cats, bunnies, and such so he is well socialized.  I take Gus on outings and just sit on a bench and welcome as many people who would like to come and greet him. We are making socialization a priority.  UTube videos have been a wonderful resource for us.  Well-meaning friends have said, "Why on earth would you want a puppy at this stage in your life?"  To these well-meaning friends, I say "It is amazing how much love and laughter he is bringing into our lives and how much closer Sam and I have become because of him.

Robert Wagner said "A dog will teach you, unconditional love.  If you can have that in your life, things will never be all bad."