Womans best friend

A DOG.  A hairy creature of wolf like appearance.   An intelligent mammal that has seemed to have wiggled its way into most of our lives.  An animal of habit and loyalty.  I am sure many people could learn a thing or two from a dog.

A dog has long been a figure of the average family.  Parents, 2 kids and a dog.  Some how they always seem to fit into the equation, (That along with the cat, guinea pigs, birds , fish and wombat )

but I do truly believe all children should have a dog if they can.

I grew up with dogs ( and the rest). Candy was her name.  A funny little terrier x something her mother was frightened by one day out wandering.  My Aunt and cousins had her mother .. Topsy, and my mum grew up with Cindy the grandmother dog.  It was a family affair. 

Candy was there before I was born and I know she had her little black nose put out of joint when I arrived.  No longer was she the baby ...  she had become the GERM !!  But still I have very fond memories of her.  Ones like ... the horrible snorting sucking sound she made when she scratched with her teeth, or of her bad bad breath.  Poor old girl has been gone quite a while now but she was still the first positive contact I had with a pooch.

All my relatives had dogs.  Besides Topsy at my Aunts she also had Scampie.  He was a full throttle dog from what I remember but still a loyal and fun friend.  I think he was always with us as we took off across the horse paddock into the creek area to play "The famous 5" and of course he was our Timmy.

My grandmother on my dads side greatly resembled the Queen Mother so of course she had  .. yep you guessed it .. a Corgi called Sammy.  He was a huge corgi with the biggest flappy ears.  I always will remember him sitting at her feet, both of them looking like royalty.

My other Cousins had a dog called Doodle.  Yep Doodle or Doowee as affectionately called.  Doodle was bough from a pet shop in our capital city.  A terrier of sort, black with a grey hair on his head and beard to match.  He was the Devil dog in disguise.  I am sure a book could be written about Doodle. 

He lived on the western side of the river in our local city but one time he disappeared.  He ended up miles away on the eastern side at my grandmothers.  We still think he must have caught the ferry. 



Joe



He would also go exploring and go down rabbit burrows usually getting stuck and then having to call in the neighbour -hood to dig him out.  He lived to a grand old age.  I still remember seeing him, a frail old man with his tongue hanging out the side as he could no longer hold it in, stumbling out to greet us.  I can still hear my aunt yelling  DOOOOWEEE at the top of her voice as she tried to coax him back.  He was a true legend.

We have also had Emily the Golden spaniel who was not really a dog but a fairy princess in disguise, Maddy the neurotic Staff Bull Terrier who was a real sook but very special, Koolie my Kelpie Koolie x who was rescued from a dog shelter and was the most incredible dog that ever there was.  He passed away far too soon.
My sister has a Pug called Captain Cupcake or CC for short.  He is one of those ugly cute dogs and is, I have to admit, totally adorable with all his snorts and snores included.
Now my parents have Nell, another spaniel fairy princess and we have Joe.

Joe, just your average Joe I call him.  He was rescued by the RSPCA after having been abused.  A Labrador x Red Heeler and what a fantastic combo this makes.  Smart, gentle, bit silly at times and very very loyal  He is my dog.  I trained him and care for him and he repays me by following me everywhere.
He will not get out of bed in the mornings until I do.  He will follow me to the bathroom and just sit there looking at me and even now is curled up on my feet.  He is my loyal companion who I would trust to protect me and the ferals.

Its funny how years ago Fifi would meet Fido down the park.  Things would happen and Fifi would go home a fallen woman, to then have a litter of 'mutts'.  Yep a cross breed no one wanted that would then be given away.
Now those same 'mutts' are called designer dogs.  A cross between anything imaginable with silly names to boot !!
I do realise that by crossing certain breeds you can get the best out of both and they can be great for families but the cost is ridiculous. !!!

A dog is a pet I believe for life.  It is not something that should cost the earth to purchase.  Joe came to me with the works done.  Vaccinated, micro chipped, wormed and de sexed.  He was a token amount and I know that money goes back into the well being of others. But when Dogs become a status symbol I think we have gone too far. It is a privilege to own one not a right.

A dog can teach a child so so much.  They learn to care and respect. To love unconditionally.  Have you ever noticed that when ever you take you dog out somewhere it is always happy to be there even though it had no idea where it was going ?  ( Except maybe the vets! )
A dog teaches loyalty and responsibility.  It can help sooth an irritable child and can help mend a broken heart.  They are always there.  You can insult and yell at a dog and it will never turn its back on you and not talk to you again for days.  It is a loyalty that we humans could follow by example.

I like a dog dog.  As much as the little fluffy dogs are ideal for those with limited space and time I personally prefer a dog that looks like it could run a marathon and play ball till the sun goes down.  One that can swim in the sea and jump into rivers from a great height. An 'all terrain vehicle' dog.
A dog that can and will go anywhere and a good decent size too.

But in the end we all love our pooches.  They are substitute children for many and I totally get that. It does not matter what they look like, how they smell or what they got up to last night ... yes Joe I am talking to you...its the unconditional love they bring to us to help maybe fill a hole in our lives or to just provide the companionship that so many are longing for.  They are creatures of unending love and I am so grate full to have this in my world.

A Dog truly is mans  this woman's best friend !

Cheers Dilly xxx