A number of friends and family in my life own dogs. I have owned dogs in the past but haven’t
had a dog for a lot of years. My granddaughter, Julia, told me that dogs love everyone, all you
have to do is feed them. According to her, cats are pickier about who they love.
Today I would like to write about the dogs that I am currently familiar with and what they have
taught me about life. The dog pictured here is my grand-dog Daisy. She belongs to Adam and
Em and loves to come and sit next to me on their couch. Daisy is getting older and more set in
her ways, like the rest of us. She comes for a cuddle when I sit on the couch and lets me know
if she wants me to pet her. She knows what makes her happy and actively seeks it out. She
also lets you know if she is not happy with something you have done. She will pout and turn
her back on you if you displease her. She quickly forgives and gets on with her life. We can all
learn from Daisy.
Raven is my sister Sharon’s German Shepherd. Raven was a wild child when my sister got her.
She was already 4½ years old and set in her ways. She had never been on a leash or had a
collar. She was very loyal and protective of her original owner, saving his life twice while she
was with him. She even faced off a bear to protect him. Needless to say, she took three weeks of intense intervention for my sister to establish who was alpha. It took another three weeks to train her with the help of her other dog Chaos. It just goes to show that even when things are out of control, they can be brought back to reality with the right supports and a good role model.
The third dog I want to mention in this blog is Ellie, she is a Chocolate Lab, Golden Retriever
cross. She belongs to my step-son, Chris and his family. It was a family decision to adopt Ellie.
Everyone had to agree that they would help to care for her and it wouldn’t all fall on one
person. They decided that the dog would live in their home, much to my step-son’s misgivings.
Ellie has become very important to him and the rest of the family. They all love her very much,
in spite of the dog hair. Ellie runs to greet me with great excitement when I visit. The first time
I visited after my husband passed away, she went around and around the car looking for him.
He sure did love that dog. Eventually, Ellie took his absence in her stride and has adopted me
as her new best grandparent. She comes and sits beside me for attention and drops a ball at
my feet when she wants to play. Even when life changes, sometimes sadly, we need to adapt
and get on with our lives. We need to find new friends and look for love elsewhere.
All three of these pets, and many more, have so much to teach us if we are receptive. Drawing
or painting someone’s pet is a very fulfilling thing for me to do because they are such an
important part of our lives.
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