By Christina Yeager
Yeah, of course, I had asked the husband over and
over “why can’t we get a bigger dog?” and the answer was always the same.
“We don’t need one. You wanted Flower and you got
her.”
Don’t get me wrong…our little Flower is fantastic!
She’s playful, loving and adores her daddy. I just had the liking for a larger
breed. I’ve always wanted a Golden Retriever. Why? They are beautiful, loyal
and great with kids!
I had the best dog ever…once.
My parents got a dog for me and my little brother
when we were kids. Queenie was presented to us right in between our birthdays
(my third and his first). Even though I was only three, I still remember how
amazing it was to wrap my arms around her soft fur. My best friend and faithful
companion was a solid white German Sheppard that followed me around the
neighborhood like a protective superhero. However, Queenie was also a great pal
to my brother and my father who took care of her. On most days, the poor dog
had no idea how to spread her love! She was torn between trailing behind my dad
and the lawn mower making sure he didn’t cut up any of her toys and sitting
next to me and my brother on the bank of the pond watching us fish. She somehow
made time for all of us.
Once I hit high school, I noticed her health
declining rapidly. My old friend was exactly that – old. The beginning of my
senior year you could find her hobbling sideways down the driveway due to
severe arthritis or laying in the shade for hours because she simply lacked the
energy to get up. It was heartbreaking. We continued to hug and pet her just as
we always had. Her last days would be just like all the other days she had
brightened for us.
One morning before school I would go out to feed her
and wouldn’t find her. I panicked and searched. My dad informed me that perhaps
she had gone out into the woods to die. I cried for hours as I hiked up steep
embankments and fell down hillsides. After finally coming home with scrapes and
bruises to mourn my canine friend, I realized that I had missed school. My
parents said nothing. They knew I was heartbroken. I cried my exhausted self to
sleep on the sofa.
My dad awoke me a few hours later to tell me he had
found her. It was exactly what we feared. My life-long friend was gone. It was
one of the toughest weeks of my life.
Many years would pass while I had kitty cats, but I
couldn’t replace Queenie. My heart would not let me.
After I married, my darling husband got me a puppy!
I was excited, yet cautious. I felt as though I was betraying a special
friendship. I was scared, yet my cute little mixed pup was adorable and
playful. She had begun to grow on me after only a few days. We hadn’t even
officially named her when tragedy fell. I took her out to potty one Saturday
morning. After getting to the bottom of the steps realized I had to go too! I
strapped her leash over the railing pole at the bottom of the steps and ran
back into the house. When I came back out…the leash was still hanging from the
pole, but no puppy was attached.
I was devastated. How could I have been so
stupid?!?!
I searched the entire neighborhood and found
nothing. Runaway or stolen? I hadn’t a clue. One thing I did know, I was highly
disappointed in myself. Was it meant to be? Maybe. I wasn’t ready and deep down
I knew that. However, that does not make me hurt less over my carelessness and
losing a possibly wonderful friend.
So…there’s my brief history with doggies. I had just
recently started to feel like I could take on a dog without feeling guilty. It
only took twenty-one years for my heart to heal enough to want it.
Enter Flower!
Oh my. How do I describe her? Flower is a long
haired Pug mix with tons of energy and enough heart to fill a few continents. I’m
not kidding about either of those! She loves our kids and that’s all we needed!
We’ve had Flower for a few months…so imagine my surprise when my husband calls
me a few days ago and says “can you come outside?” and I didn’t even know he
was home. When I came off of the porch I saw him…with a huge black dog on a
leash! This dog was a lovely vision of dark shining glory! I wasted no time. I
ran over and let her sniff me as he talked. Before I knew it, I had my arms
around her massive neck. All I heard him say was “blah, blah, blah, it’s a
girl, blah, blah, she’s a lab/golden retriever mix I think, blah, blah” and
really didn’t care! She was amazing and licking me down. I giggled like a
little girl and jumped to my feet.
“Is she ours?” I asked nervously and threw my arms
around his neck when he said “yeah” oh…and I kissed him. My darling man. He WAS
listening.
Shadow is not far from what her name implies. She
stays on our heels (especially the hubby) everywhere we go. I had long
forgotten what it was like to have a large dog. Although, Queenie was never in
the house…she was always camped on the porch and I spent most of my youth
outside with her. Shadow? She’d be taking up residence inside the house. I was
more than thrilled to accommodate that.
Here’s what I’ve learned that I didn’t know before
(or didn’t remember):
- A large dog in the house is like having another adult human with a child-like demeanor.
- Larger dogs eat five times more than a human adult, or it seems like it.
- When a large dog and small dog take on with each other and play in the living room…the whole house shakes.
- We should have bought a king-sized bed.
- Bold, sudden barks scare the life out of you!
- My couch is smaller than it looks.
- Large dogs are strong and will pull you across the yard.
- Own great snow boots if you’re gonna take your dog out to potty in the winter. I have bruises.
- Not just the kids hunt you down when you’re in the bathroom.
I’m sure this list will grow with time and I don’t
mind. Shadow is the newest member in the family and possibly exactly what I
needed to pull me out of my recent funk!
So my advice to anyone struggling with getting
another dog after losing such a dear companion is…give it time -- while it may
not take you over twenty years like me. You won’t regret making the decision to
just go for it at a certain point. You’ll know.
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