Dog – Straight From the Heart

The toughest part about walking is stopping what I’m doing, bundling up, and pushing myself out the door. But once my feet hit the driveway, I’m ready to dive into the adventures of the great outdoors.

My walks consist of thoughts and ideas, and letting my spirit run free and wild. The dishes can scream their dirty little heads off, but I can’t hear them. I don’t even know them. This is my time. My walk. And I’m not stopping till my legs fall off.

I enjoy walking most on the wooded trails. However, there are none close by, and I wouldn’t feel safe walking them alone, so I walk the neighborhood. Since it was once a pasture, the scenery, with its hills, a little pond, and twists and turns, is beautiful, and sometimes, quite adventurous.

One day last summer, I turned down a road I don’t often walk and was met with a German Shepherd. He was still a puppy. A big puppy, on the brink of becoming a full-grown, mean-looking beast, so I kept an eye on him as I continued walking.

I never run from a dog. Ever! I stand and face the bully; my walking sticks ready for battle. But, I didn’t feel threatened, he just barked and followed me from across the road. Then he came over and sniffed my hand. Okay. Sniffing is good. He’s not growling and showing his big, sharp teeth. He’s just an overgrown puppy and wants to play.

Overgrown was an understatement. This grizzly bear puppy suddenly jumped on my back, nearly knocking me off my feet, and planted his two big paws on my shoulders!

Oh boy. Now I’m in trouble!

Without a second thought, I swung my walking sticks behind me, poking him in the ribs to get off. Nope! Didn’t work. Now what? This Romeo only has one thing on his mind! Desperate to keep my wobbly knees from buckling, my calm turned into cold-blooded screams!

At last, two guys ran to my rescue, neither of which owned the dog, but knew who did, and they weren’t home. But their four-legged beast is out, running the streets and parked himself on my back!

Finally, after much tugging and pulling and me trying not to fall and break my neck, he decided it wasn’t worth the effort, got down and ran back into his yard.

That was the last time I saw that dog. The last time I walked down that street!

It was my husband’s birthday. Rascal, our beloved pet, died a few weeks before, and hubby was having a hard time getting over the loss. I didn’t want another dog to fall in love with; saying goodbye is just too hard. But seeing my husband moping around the house was even worse.

The dog pound is depressing, but here we are, eyes wet with tears, looking for the right dog to take home.

Rascal was special. We didn’t choose him, he chose us. He was the puppy next door; a beautiful Australian Shepherd mix, with tiger stripes and a silky white chest. Before we knew it, he was sleeping on our front porch, and then, living in our house. The grandkids loved him and he loved them. The kids at Pet Smart loved wrapping their arms around his furry neck. He even allowed grownups to pet him. But, on his own turf? Not a chance. He wouldn’t even let them in the house. PERIOD! But children were always safe. He was their dad, their best friend, their best-ever playmate. Always. Any time, any day or night.

After three times around the kennel, we were feeling hopeless about finding the perfect dog. There was one, though; a hound mix. That skinny, brown, short-haired dog with long legs and floppy ears. I didn’t want a hound. Buck didn’t care what kind of dog it was, he just wanted a dog. So, a hound dog is what we got.

She is the strangest dog we’ve ever had. After eight years, she’s still jumpy, as hardheaded as a bull, and as stubborn as a mule. She licks everything, barks at everything, and thinks all babies are hers by pushing their moms away.

She is definitely my husband’s dog. She sleeps with him and wakes him up whenever he stops breathing or has one of his recurring nightmares. She’s never been trained to do that, she just does it. She is an amazing dog. We fell in love with her and her quirky personality. That’s what makes her Bella!

Click on any image to open the gallery