Since I was born there have always been dogs in my life.  There have been some lapses without a dog, but for the most part I have had the companionship of a four-legged friend.

Muffin was a Lhasa Apso my family had before I was born.  She was a big fan of my dad, and I have heard they get attached primarily to one person, so when I came around my parents waited to see how she would handle a baby.  She was okay at first, she would sit just outside my blanket if I was placed on the floor, never touching the blanket or me.  I was never left alone with her though.  When I did get mobile, it took one time for her to show her teeth and my parents took her to my grandmother.  She ended up destroying her house, and then when my great-aunt took her in, she bit her.  Sadly her tale was not so happy.

Sheba I remember we got when I was about four or five years old.  There was a store in New York called The Emporium I believe, and one day someone had some Siberian Husky puppies they were giving away.  We went home with her and she sat in my lap.  She was a gentle giant, and was actually a mixed breed.  She had some Labrador in her too.  Her eyes were brown and blue, and she was black and white.  My dad could put a piece of cheese on his finger and she would gently take it off his finger.  She moved with us to Florida and I remember the drive with her.   Sadly we moved from a house in Florida and she couldn’t come with us.

Pepe was the little man.  My coach in grade school, this was 4th grade, had found an abandoned puppy and decided to see if any of the students could take him in.  I went home, my dad helped me write a note and we got to school early the next day and I came home with a new friend.  He was a Terrier/Beagle mix and just a little man.  He was a sweet guy and always a good friend.  He got sick when he was about 13 and he had to be euthanized, and to this day I think of him fondly.

Honey-Belle entered my life a bit after Pepe was gone.  She is my little princess and protector.  She is a Poodle/Bichon Frise mix and at all of nine pounds she is still a feisty little thing.  She is nearing ten years old now, but she is truly a great little girl and I enjoy having her to come home to.  Her protectiveness of me makes me laugh because she is so small, but feels she is an imposing figure.  She is truly a personality to behold.

Loving a pet is a bittersweet thing.  We have such a limited time with them, but they bring so much in those years it is hard for me to say I could give up having a dog in my life.  Unconditional love, friendship is a given, and all they seek is your love, care, and friendship in return.  It is truly a unique relationship humans have with their four-legged friends, and I am so grateful for it.

*Pictures to come soon :0)

K