Happy Tenth Birthday, Puppigrrl!

[sistawendy]

Sometime in the spring of '93 a black Labrador mixed with something smaller was born. She grew into a lithe, frisky, athletic, and absolutely gorgeous adult. The first three years of her life are a dark mystery to me, but I do know that in the spring of '96 she ended up in the King County pound. She was rescued by a middle-aged lady who lived in Kent, but her new human soon got a full-time job and a fiance who was allergic to dog dander. A free-to-good-home ad was placed in the paper. Somewhere in there the dog was given the name Katie.

In July of '96 Her Nibs was a little nervous about being alone in the house all the time, so I grudgingly -- because I knew from experience how much maintennance an urban dog requires -- acquiesced to getting a dog. In a back yard in Kent I saw a black, shiny blur of pure four-legged energy repeatedly pouncing on a basketball that came up to her shoulders. Like a Hindu groom I fell in love.

We took her home, and after I got her to stop chewing through her leash she helped me lose fifty pounds. The first time Katie heard the Wendling cry she barked at us parents as if to say, 'Well? Shouldn't you be doing something about this?' She's been a wonderful Auntie Puppy ever since. (OK, she doesn't understand that nibble cleanings don't work well on animals with no fur, but I appreciate the gesture even if the Wendling doesn't yet.)

My neighbor from China once asked me what good dogs are. I had a surprisingly hard time explaining it to him, but I'm no less convinced. Every night we spend a few minutes looking into each other's eyes (what Her Nibbs calls "googooing" -- a transitive verb) and I'm positive it goes way beyond food, pets, scratches, and walks combined.

It's time to walk the dog.

Comments

[m-cobweb.livejournal.com]

There's a great quote from Loren Eiseley that I'm going to have to look up now, about how being close with an animal is one of the experiences that opens you up to what life is really about. I can't agree more. And animals who have had dicey living situations in the past can really teach one about forgiveness and gratitude and moving on.

Okay, getting emotional here. Thanks for the story and the pic...

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Indeed. If Katie isn't an ad for dog adoption I don't know who is. Not a digger, not a chewer, not a (huge) barker. She's a little aggressive toward some other dogs (especially German shepherds -- go figure), but nobody's perfect. Recently she's learned to waylay me on the stairs and put her head between her forepaws for extra cuteness so that I have to pet her.

I've discovered that you need good lighting to photograph a black dog well, or else you get a dog-shaped hole in space.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Awww.

Y'know, I've seen you with your dog, and this just makes me want to call that lady and tell her what a wonderful home she's sent her dog to.

And Shadow ends up as a cat-shaped hole in space almost all the time no matter what I do. :)