Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Happy Gotcha Day Delilah!

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Eight years ago today I stood in a commuter parking lot along with about 50 other people, an empty leash in my hands, waiting for the dog that would inevitably change my life forever.

It was a rough first day, noticed the red-rimmed eyes.

It was a rough first day, noticed the red-rimmed eyes.

If you want more in-depth about that first day, you can read all about it, HERE.

I’ve had a rescue intake coordinator tell me she’s a poster dog for rescue, but that wasn’t always the case. We had a rough and bumpy road in the beginning.

The dog that came off that transport truck wasn’t afraid of people, but she was aloof, almost as if she didn’t have much use for people, or hadn’t learned how to bond with them.

She sometimes listened (some things never change) and could follow basic obedience commands, but she didn’t much care for petting and being loved. It took us some time to figure out that she liked her chest rubbed, she was good about letting you clip her nails, but didn’t like her ears touched and definitely don’t move your feet near hers, especially when she’s sleeping!

Today she actively seeks out affection and has gotten better with allowing people other than my husband or I to love on her. She loves to climb up in my husband’s lap and has even done that with both of my sisters as well.

Now what? Bob made it look so easy.

I told you’d I’d fit.

She mimics Sampson by lying on her back and wiggling around waiting for belly rubs when we come home from work.

Nothing makes me smile more than when I rub her ears and she takes in a deep breath and lets it out with a big sigh.

Or when she rushes to greet me, voicing her joy at my return home.

Or when I climb into bed and she looks back, then leans into me, waiting for me to rub her to sleep.

Or when she stuffs her head between my legs, demanding attention and sitting while I give it.

Chocolate Lab

Yes, right there, that’s the spot.

Delilah, you’ve taught me patience. You’ve brought me joy. You’ve made me laugh when I thought there was nothing to laugh about. You’ve comforted me when I’ve been sad and hugged me when I cried. You’ve challenged me to be a better person and I sure hope I’ve risen to the challenge.

Yes, it’s been a bumpy road, but I wouldn’t trade one second of it. 

Thank you for eight amazing years Delilah Rose, it’s true what they say. One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure and you surely are a treasure to me.

Happy Gotcha day my love.

A Post About Nothing

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This is a blog post about nothing.  As of right now, I’ve lost my Mojo, so I figured if Seinfield can have a show about nothing, I can do the same thing with a blog post. Here goes.

Rainy Days and Mondays

 The nice warm weather we had last week was replaced Monday with a cold wet rain.  (Thanks a lot for sending your crappy weather my way, Sue.)

Of course the Dastardly Duo want a walk rain or shine.  Monday’s was a cold, raw rain, so I broke out the flannel lined jeans and my boots.  Nothing says spring like marching in the cold wet rain with boots and gloves on.

Since I had the song, “Rainy Days and Mondays” stuck in my head, I took some pictures of the dogs in all their wetness.  

Hanging around, nothing to do but frown, rainy days and wet dogs always get me down.

Golden Lab

Thank DOG she didn’t break out our boots. I’ve had enough humiliation for one week.

 

Chocolate Lab

What are you whining about? You’re wearing a raincoat.

 

Golden Lab

What pray tell is the issue with a wet dog smell?  It smells awesome and makes our fur super soft.

That’s as far as I got.  When I sat down to write the post, the words just wouldn’t come.

I looked to my dogs for inspiration, nothing.

Flipped through some pictures, still nothing.

I decided I’d pass on Rainy Days and Mondays and make a WTF Wednesday post.

You've heard this one right?

WTF?

 I really wanted to skewer the Texas veterinarian who killed the cat with the bow and arrow, but honestly my WTF posts are supposed to be funny and I just couldn’t find any way to put some humor in that situation. 

So I wrote a post about nothing, that has absolutely no humor in it whatsoever.

But I wrote and hopefully my Mojo is not lost, just taking a sabbatical and I’ll find it soon.

What do you do when the words just won’t come?

Delilah the Defender

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SlimDoggy had a post last week, How Protective is Your Dog?  As I began writing my response, I realized my response was more like a post.

I got a good thing going here. Thankyouverymuch.

I got a good thing going here. Thankyouverymuch.

I have one protective dog, Delilah.  I joke that Sampson would rush an intruder for a belly rub. He loves everyone.  In fact, he only ever growled at one person, it was a man on the beach in North Carolina.  Immediately I thought, that is not a nice man.  I found out after he was the neighborhood jerk.  

Delilah on the other hand is extremely protective.  The first time we noticed it was shortly after she came to live with us.  We were having a tag sale in anticipation of moving, my sister who Delilah had seen many times before, opened the gate to walk into the yard and Delilah wasn’t expecting it.  Growling she rushed towards my sister, thankfully we were right there to assure her everything was okay.

About five months later we were settling into our current house.  The process involved moving the washer/dryer hook up from the basement to the master closet.  Because of limited space, we ordered new appliances.

Our plumber happened to be here when the appliances were delivered.  Sampson was at daycare, but Delilah was home because she was recovering from being spayed.  When the delivery men arrived Delilah went ballistic.  I’m not sure what exactly set her off.  I’m guessing it had something to do with her life before us, but I don’t know with any certainty.  

The deliverymen were hispanic and one was wearing a hat while the other wore a bandana.  I had Delilah on leash to try to keep her from over exerting herself.  When the delivery men started up the stairs, Delilah lost her shit, she was barking and lunging so badly, I had to shut her in a bedroom because I was afraid she’d hurt herself. 

My plumber stayed until the deliverymen left and when I opened the door to let Delilah out of the room, she knew exactly where those deliverymen had been.  She tore into the bedroom intent on putting a hurting on someone.  Thankfully she calmed down when she realized it was our plumber.

One morning in early summer I had the back door open.  I was in the kitchen taking care of morning chores, my sister had dropped by and we were chatting.  I had completely forgotten the lawn was scheduled for a tick spraying and we were first on the list.  

I saw the man walk onto the deck the same time she did.  Her four legs were faster than my two.  She tore out the door with me behind her.  The bug man was quick (evidently he’s used to charging dogs) and jumped up onto our retaining wall.  She put her paws right up on the wall and was letting him know he was not welcome.  

Our oil fill pipe is at the back of the house, right next to the french doors.  I hate having to get oil when we aren’t home because I know a person in the yard tosses her over the edge, but the delivery people can never give you the exact time of deliver.  We had an oil delivery in November, I came home just as the man was getting back into his truck.  He said,”Man your dog wanted a piece of me.  She was barking and jumping at the door, finally I just knelt on the deck and bowed my head.  Then she was okay.”

It’s not just the house she’s protective of.  New Jersey is the only state on the East coast (probably the whole country) where you can’t pump your own gas.  This means someone has to come up to the car window.  This does not sit well with Delilah, she barks and growls trying to get out the window at the threat.

Typically Delilah is fairly aloof with people.  She may show initial interest but once she’s checked them out, she’s ready to move on.  One day this past summer a man approached us on a walk.  He was walking slowly towards us and talking softly.  Delilah growled.  I said not happening and moved her out of the situation.

I’ve no doubt she would die protecting me, but I’d rather not put her in a situation where she feels she has to defend herself or me, it’s easier to listen to her instincts and remove us both from a potentially scary situation.

Funny things dogs do.

Die? Let’s not exaggerate Mama.

Did you read SlimDoggys’ post?  Do you have a protective dog or would your dog trade you for a belly rub?

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