I've always loved dogs. My grandfather, "Pop-Pop" raised dogs. He raised champion hunting dogs - Pointers and Retrievers. As you probably know, I'm not a hunter and actually don't condone hunting. Yet, my Pop-Pop was a hunter. Mostly I think he loved being with his dogs, working them. He always had a whistle in his mouth to call the dogs. At four years of age, I can still remember running behind him to keep up with him and the dogs. At age 100 he was still going to the Bird Dog Club.
My first dog was Susie, a Cocker Spaniel. Apparently she was a lot of work for my mom with three small children because she "went to live on a farm." In this case, I still want to believe that's actually where she went to live.
Our next dog wasn't really our dog, it belonged to our neighbors. They went to Japan for a year and we got their dog, Ginger while they were gone. Ginger was a poodle. Not my favorite dog to this day. We were supposed to get a puppy when they returned. She never had puppies.
Next was my first "very own" dog - Misty. Purchased for five dollars, she was the best investment I ever made. A shepherd/collie mix. What a great dog. I was ten and we went everywhere. I tried to teach her to be a seeing eye dog but ended up running into a tree. End of that lesson. She used to pull us on the icy roads (we lived in Indiana in those days). That was really fun. She died my junior year in college. I was away from home. Still sad. I'm still a shepherd lover to this day.
My next dog was Bandit, a sheltie/shepherd mix rescued from the shelter. He was with me until he was fourteen years old. At that time we also had Buddy, a pit bull/Mastiff. Dumb dog. Allergic to everything. Lived to age ten when he was hit by a car. Awful, awful - I had to bury him as Joe was taking his master plumber's exam that day. Bitter sweet - he passed, the dog died.
Fiona, our border collie, was also a rescue. I found her while horseback riding in Ireland! She was the best souvenir ever. She had a very interesting life - stray dog on the moors, mini farm dog and in her final years, companion to autistic twins where she was the only dog.
Tiger was our black lab/pit bull/chow mix. She was a rescue. Took Joe a long time to find the right dog - she definitely was. Kind, sweet and had a face that took a little getting used to. Once you did, you believed all black labs should have a round face, black tongue and little chow ears. She died young - age six, of cancer.
That's full circle. Fawn and Tobie are my "junk yard" dogs rescued from Buddies for Life. Kira is my blonde shepherd rescued from Pet Rescue by Judy. Corkie and Leiden are both AKC registered. Cork was born to a neighbor's dog so she has always lived in Chuluota. Leiden was a gift from the Universe - she found me through her owner while I was having lunch one day in Winter Park - neat story that I'm always happy to tell. Sienna is our service puppy from New Horizons Service Dogs.
I love dogs.
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