Not like some of my dear friends. Not only do they love dogs but they know how to live with dogs. Dogs are a part of the family. It is not unusual for them to plan for and deal with the daily doggie goings on.
Here is what I mean. We are all kind of shocked and put off a little when we travel or even just leave the house. We are like...oh no....what about the dog.
I think people who have had dogs their whole lives are not really shocked about what to do with the dog....because having a dog has become a part of their psyche.
Or something like that.
My friend Cheryl has four dogs. Those dogs are a handful.
But somehow she just goes with it and I never hear her complain about 'what am I going to do with the dogs'. She's got it figured out.
We on the other hand...are just learning.
It was natural for me to have a baby. I knew that I would have this baby with me ALL the time.
Somehow... this comes as a surprise to us with our Ginny.
I blame the cat.
We can leave the cat for a week in the house with food and water clean litter and she is fine.
That must have been what we were thinking.
Our Ginny is not quite two. Her birthday is Halloween. She has come a LONG way since last winter when I was about to put her on a plane to Arizona to live with my dog loving sister Janet. Janet is a dog person. To the max. It is very natural for her to fit a doggie or two or three into her life.
The big news on the Ginny front today is that when Katie and I left the house at 7:30...we forgot to put her in her kennel. Katie thought I did it. I thought Katie did it.
We don't quite trust Ginny to be in the house by herself.
I pulled in the garage at 8:30 and opened the door to the house and who was standing at the door so happy to see me?
Ginny girl.
She was happy and a bit sheepish and very sweet.
I looked in the bathroom to see if she had gotten anything out of the garbage and then I looked in the living room to see if she had done anything naughty in there. But she hadn't done anything naughty.
She was being a very good girl while I was away. I know she knew that something was not right.
She's smart like that.
But I am very proud of her. She is growing up so nicely.
When I get up in the morning the first thing I do is feed Ginny. I always think of Cheryl when she wakes up (I really do). She calls out "Hello Friends" to her crew. I think....if she can do it with four...I can do it with one.
So you see, it just doesn't come naturally to me.
But with Ginny dear, I'm learning.
I love her very much.
Katie too.
“In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us.”
~marley and me
~john grogan
Lots of love,
Donna
Ginny was such a good girl to mind her manners during her unexpected freedom this morning :-)
ReplyDeleteI miss my doggy more than I can say. Such is the price for loving a dog. But they are so worth it.
((Susan))
Delete~thanks~ <3
DeleteYou know, I think some people think about kids the way you described dogs. That sounded funny...let me explain. I have four kids. Sure, it's a lot of work, but I just don't think about it. I couldn't imagine my life without a bunch of kids hanging around. For other people, who maybe only have one or two, they look at me and think "How does she do it? I am so not a big family person." The exact same way *I* look at people who have 6, 7, 8 kids and think "How does she do it? I am so not a big family person!"
ReplyDeleteI don't know...maybe that was nuts. I think that we all have as much love to give as we need to...whether it be to our doggie friends or our kiddos.
Beth,
DeleteI was thinking the same thing. Having a family is not for everyone. It must be in the wiring ;o)
She is very beautiful. We had a dog that looked a little like Ginny when I was growing up. He was part yellow lab, and part something else but we never knew what. When I was growing up people still left dogs outside sometimes, so Sam stayed outside. As time went by my Mom let him come and live inside. He was very hyper. We all loved him. He got very sick at the end of his life and it was a sad time for all of us.
ReplyDeleteCats are definitely easier : ).
Sweet girl. You couldn't go without having a baby in your house too long could you? You're right that some people do it like no-big-thing (or at least they seem like they do). Keely is like that with her dogs too. Anne Lamott talks all the time about dogs being the best companions. period. and when you remember Ginny loves you with her whole doggie heart, you'll remember why even when it's not so easy, you love her too.
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of that comment.
DeleteLOVE this ^^
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I enjoyed your blog today!!! ;-) It is exhausting.... this week in particular! Wake up time has been 5:00AM. That is truly just a bit too early for me, especially since my Red Sox are playing in the World Series... I'm also a bit anxious about next weekend. 5:00 becomes 4:00. I might just have to stay awake!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy Ginny was a good girl while you and Katie were out. You will see a big change this next year.
Love you,
Cheryl
Im glad you stopped by today. I love you and your four friends.
DeleteCheryl, good luck to your Red Sox!! I love the thought of you saying "Hello friends" in the morning.
DeleteMary Z
I have not ever had a cat for a friend who lives with me, but we have had dogs. Our dogs were just like children, we would take them everywhere we went if at all possible. Our dog Candace went with us to Canada along with all her papers which the border crossing guards did not even ask to see. She stayed in motel rooms with us and we did not even have to pay extra for her. She could charm the motel managers into wanting her to stay there. ;-) The only animals she did not care for were bison. She growled so hard and so loud out the window at the bison in Yellowstone National Park that her whole body vibrated. She was protecting us is my guess.
ReplyDeleteI think it must have been easier years ago to travel with a dog or maybe we just went to the right places. Dogs certainly can give more than they take. Ginny is learning to be trusted. She really lives to please you. It is easy to tell from her pictures...you have a great dog with Miss Ginny. And, you are dog people! love and prayers, jep
You and Ginny. Peas and Carrots. :)
ReplyDeleteMary Z
If I had a dime for every time we have forgotten to plan for Sophie when we are planning a trip...I could go on another trip!!!
ReplyDeleteI am SO not a dog person.
And Sophie has been found with her nose in the trash can when we race back in to get that one last thing we always forget...she does not behave well when unsupervised. We call her curious, but naughty might be used, too (-:
One more note: she's Madelaine's dog. Madelaine lives in Eugene, Oregon. We are in Placerville, CA.
And Claire actually asked the other day if she could get a dog. She's a SENIOR in high school. All I could do was laugh. She eventually realized that maniacal laugh meant h-e-double toothpicks NO!
But Ginny makes me think I should be a dog person. She is so darling.
Mucho love,
Not A Dog Person Di
p.s. "Hello friends!" Cheryl, that is so cute!
Deletep.p.s. I get the "wired for a big family" thing. I guess if I were a dog person, too, I would get my wires crossed more often than I already do, right? A pile of kids and no dogs. That is my natural habitat. With a cat. And coffee. Oh, and especially my hubby.
I was not a dog person when I met my husband. Now I am. When we travel, one of the first things we consider is the dog. And whenever possible, we travel with her. She is good company and we can usually find a dog-friendly place to stay. Having a dog means that I will always find a way to take a nice long walk every day. And that's a good thing!
ReplyDeletehmbalison
Our pup goes in her "room" which is a crate when I go to work or other places. The cat sits on the sofa and smirks. When I leave the house, the final words I say before closing the door are "Be good, I love you guys". Definitely a dog person since the day I was born. The saddest times of my life were when I lived in places that would not allow dogs. Of course ideally I would love to have had human children..a passle of them, but I was given dogs and cats to love instead.
ReplyDeleteCheryl sounds like a terrific person.
Donna
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that we do not have a dog . I always thought we would after Huck died. Now the clowder of cats is perfect for us. Maybe when Fireman retires.....he will let us get another dog. He's pretty sure not!