He arrived in a cardboard box as the rain pelted down, Pat handed him to me over the fence as I made a mad dash for the car. Bunged under the dash, he didn't make any noise at first, by the time the first whimper came I was navigating the twisty roads in pouring rain and couldn't extracate him without ending up off the steep drop. Stay in the box he would until Woodbrook.
I left him in the box as I ran into the pet shop to pick up puppy chow. Poor thing was truly traumatised, he'd been yanked away from his mummy, litter mates and kennel, thrown into a box and passed to a strange woman who'd only seen him once before. And yet, he forgave me all of that. I did take him out when I got back into the car, he sat on my lap in front of the steering wheel and looked up at me with his doggie face all trusting.
Don't get used to it he was warned, you're just the substitute. I'd lost my real friend a month before and I was fragile, no dog could replace Gator. Five years later our misadventures are still on. We'd forgotten to tell Zeus that he wasn't human and in return he deigns to share the house. The little fuzzy pup grew into a large beastie who will affectionately hit you with his head a few hundred times to get you out of bed at the crack of dawn, especially on a Sunday morning. Charming, especially when he wants to go walking, in the rain, before leaping back on to the bed, wet. Did I mention he guards? Against cats, other dogs, large tractors, motorcycles, the neighbour's kid are favorite targets. He will bark until they are safely out of his comfort zone. The neighbours three streets down know him, he wakes them up too. He will nag you to throw his ball at him, and is as happy on the three thousandth time as the first.
As maddening as he can be however, he never complains when I work late as I do most days. He never needs me to listen to how sucky his day was but will listen to me rant about mine. He never tells me I look fat in that dress, he loves my cooking (dry dog food!) and best of all, he's always happy to see me when I get home and will let me rub his tummy until he almost pukes in happiness. Need I say more.
2 comments:
Shepperd's are so very loyal. I had a black one too way back when. My favourite memory of him was when I was really upset one day and went to sit outside, he came and sat next to me. Then it started to rain and he stayed with me even though it was raining heavily, he would not move until I did. I eventually felt sorry for him and retreated inside with him. He was such a good dog
Sounds like a helluva romance. If only this damn apartment compound allowed pets my life would be complete
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