Tuesday, October 8, 2013

My "boys"

There was a comment on my last post about how having a special bond with a dog makes life so much better. It got me to thinking about the other "boys" that share my home and my life. The bond with each one is different....which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Let's start with the oldest...Rudy. Rudy is a golden retriever mix that we adopted from the pound when he was five weeks old. He is now 11 years old and doesn't get around as well as he used to. He has really bad hips that don't always work like they should. Rudy is my farm dog. He's always with me and is incredibly patient. He will wait for however long it takes me to do something even in the worst of weather. He is devoted to me and I would be lost without him. He is the reason I got Tucker. It is my hope that Rudy will teach a Tucker how to be a great farm dog like he is so that one day Tucker can take over allowing Rudy a well deserved rest.

Onto the miniature dachshunds. There are 3 of them. Two of them my loving hubby brought home. Ratt was the first one he brought home. Ratt was a rescue. He was in a very abusive living situation (as was my oldest but I won't get into that). He was very timid when he first came to us. Skulked around and cringed at any loud sounds. Ratt has been with us for four years now. He is very trusting and very affectionate. His favorite place to be is in my hubby's lap being loved on. Ratt is the dapple and tan in the photo.
Pictured with Ratt is Dexter. My hubby brought him when my youngest figured out that she simply couldn't give him all that he wanted and needed. Dexter is a very demanding dog. When he wants something he wants it now and will let you know. He is devoted to my hubby. Loves him to pieces. He spends his days waiting for my hubby to walk through the door. He does love the spinning wheel. Loves to hear the soft "whirring" noise it makes. He will get as close to the wheel as he can (sometimes using the treadle as a pillow)  and fall asleep with a smile on his face. (Yes, they do smile. Super cute to see.)

The last of the dachshunds is Harley. He is the smallest of them all. He is my "little piece of chocolate". He's never far from me. My hubby gave me Harley during a rather difficult time. My miniature schnauzer wasn't doing well and we knew he wouldn't be with us for much longer. My hubby thought that Harley would help ease the pain of losing my miniature schnauzer....which he did. Harley and I have a very close bond that is a bit hard to put into words. He's always with me. When he's not with me he's watching me. He always knows where I am.....and hates having a closed door between us. He is very protective of me. Sometimes I feel as though my miniature schnauzer told Harley that it was his turn to watch over me.....as silly as it sounds. My miniature schnauzer was the same way Harley is. 

Why or how each dog found their way to our home isn't really relevant. They have each created their own unique place here. Each of them has blossomed (or is still blossoming in Tucker's case) into the amazing individuals they are. While I may not have that special bond with each one, that's okay. There is still plenty of love in the house. There is always someone there who will cuddle with you when you are feeling blue. They all feel safe, secure, and happy. When it's all said and done that really is the only thing that matters.

Did we ever think we would have five dogs? No. Definitely not. Does it get chaotic around here? At times....YES!!! Especially when they are running through the house playing. Do they all get along? Yes. We monitor their interactions with each other and only intervene when absolutely necessary. They all have their own unique personalities and it's important that they learn to respect each other. Would we change things? Definitely not. I can't imagine not having any of them.




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