Category Archives: loving dogs

Single? Get a dog!

29 Friday Jan 2010

Posted by in border collies, dogs, loving dogs, Uncategorized

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Recently I went to Starbucks to get a coffee. Bailey loves to go for coffee, because she knows she is going to get a little lick of whipped cream. And a man came up to me as I was leaving with my coffee to ask me what kind of dog Bailey was. He proceeded to tell me how beautiful and soft she was and he quickly whipped out his wallet and showed me a picture of his dogs a Corgie and a German Sherpard. “My mom told, me you have a picture of your dogs in your wallet but not me,” he said. Right then, I knew he was single. And after that moment, I knew he was a guy that was looking for a woman who might love him and his dogs.

I am not single. I have been happily married for many years, but after I thought about the brief chat about dogs, I recalled my girlfriends who are single and how they should get a dog! This was not the first time this has happened to me either, but for some reason, I never thought about it. Guys come up to me all the time when I am walking Bailey! When I was single I had cats- I still have a a cat and always will have cats in my life, but dogs are true men magnets and I never thought to get a dog when I was single, in hopes of engaging a nice guy who also loved animals as much as me. So why did I not think about that? Have you?

There is a wonderful a ticle by John Homans right now on the cover of New York Magazine http://nymag.com/news/features/63232/ about dogs and people. For dog lovers, or anyone who shares their life with animal companions, it is a must read article.  The love I feel for Bailey is just like having a child, so the thought of two single people meeting who both like dogs could be a great study in interpersonal communication because immediately you share a ground more common than who looks good. I mean one’s look can change over time for the good or better, but the unconditional love that is shared between an animal and their person and then yet another person is simply special.

I met my husband in a very romantic way and it could have not been more ideal and it did not involve cats or dogs, but I wish my girfriends who long to meet the right guy would just make the commitment to rescue a dog. First, I believe in the good karma it brings and second, they would be putting themselves out there in a manner that they have not yet before. Of course having a dog is unlike having a cat. It’s the total opposite. But, if you ever wondered about what it would be like to have a child in your singleness – just get a dog because the wondering will end. They are the real deal. They demand constant time and attention, money, playtime and all the love you can muster. They will take it all and give it back twofold. So if you can meet someone else who is willing to have this kind of commitment to a dog, just imagine what a wonderful relationship you might build together. With your dogs and cats, of course!

Riding Through Hurricane Ida….All the Way to Florida

28 Saturday Nov 2009

Posted by in border collies, Dog walking, dogs, Florida, loving dogs, nature, rescue dogs, Uncategorized, vacation, Vacation by car

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Are we in Florida Yet?

Hurricane Ida’s tears were punishing. From the time we rode into West Virginia, through Virginia and both North & South Carolina, the wind increased and the rain fell harder. A trucker told to to avoid the 15 mile backup on I-77 by taking Hwy 20, which we did not know wound through and around The Jefferson National Forest and was worse than if we had steered the course on 77.

But Bailey was perfect. Her second trip by car down to Southwest Flordia since her adoption in July 2008. I just think  she is so grateful for experiences in her senior years. It’s as though she just retired and is spending her pension doing new things. I am her fund through which she withdraws her adventures, the sights she gets to see. We are here two weeks today. Tomorrow is her favorite activity, The Saturday Farmer’s market, where other dogs come to strut their stuff amongst cucumbers and heads of lettuce and freshly made baked-goods. She always looks for crumbs from the popcorn maker, the bagel guy and the key lime pie creator. She knows where to look and she stops at many a booth where people tell her how soft she is, how beautiful she is and how sweet a personaliy she exhibits. There is is nary a dog who loves praise as much as she.
 
She loved the ride down here and the stops at the two hotels. Now that Bailey is a member of our furry family, we stay at suite-hotels so we have more space. Safari always keeps us up at night. The first night was bad but he behaved the second one. I dislike having to stop twice. We probably won’t do that on the way back to PA in in the Spring. At least I hope not.
 
But Bailey is a great traveller. I wonder if all dogs are? I appreciate the quality in her that makes her ready to go on any adventure. Almost daily we go to our little independent coffee/wine shop, CGrape, here in Bonita to see Mai & Drew, the owners. They have two dogs. Bailey gets to walk right in. I get my coffee and she gets a little, 1/2 mini dixie cup of whipped cream. She LOVES that she gets to go inside a “people” place. For some reason, dogs are allowed inside all kids of  places. Yesterday there was a Boston Terrier riding in the cart at Home Depot!
 
Thanksgiving just passed and I am so thankful for Bailey and Safari, of course.  There are certain women out there who think you are nothing if you don’t have a child. They are usually over-the-top people who I don’t care for anyway, but it is amazing that they think they are superior to us women whose “children” have paws and fur. I prefer it that way. My “kids” appreciate all that I do for them. They love unconditionally. We communicate without words and that takes a special ability and I am proud to have that in my soul. My greatest passion aside from loving my husband as much as I do, is my love for animals and it always will be. The ride down here is simply part of the journey of the many furry kids that have touched me.  I don’t need a special time of year to be greatful because it’s part of who I am.

A Blade of Grass, A Pile of Leaves, Many Scents…

08 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by in border collies, Dog walking, dogs, loving dogs, nature, rescue dogs

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I am always amazed by Bailey’s sense of smell. While her vet thinks she is all Border Collie, I feel she is mixed with a bit of Beagle. Maybe she got most of the Border Collie genes, but there has to be Beagle in her. Beagles have the most acute sense of smell of all dogs and Bailey’s nose is like that of a winemaker. She knows what is good and what isn’t. When she walks she might sniff at a blade of grass for minutes at a time before we move on. Now that it is Fall, a certain leaf may captivate her attention as she soaks up its aroma through her adorable black, wet nose.

I love her acute curiousity about the world and people she sees on the street. “What do they smell like?” And, she must think, why do they smell that way? A person can smell bad, or good, or of perfume. Perhaps they smell old or dirty. If she is lucky they smell like another dog and usually she can sniff those people out in a crowd within a minute. Since adopting Bailey, I see the world a bit differently. Before I had Bailey, I once read that you should let a dog lead you where they want to go and I agree with that. I do let her lead, although dog “experts” might not agree with me. They tend to think “the person” should do the leading. If I did it that way, I may never get a chance to view the world through Bailey’s dark brown eyes on our walks and then I think I would truly be missing a great deal. We are together so much because I work at home and I love that I can be there for her. I want to take in her world as she does mine. We have formed a special bond that I suppose, makes for one world all of our own.