Reminders of Intelligence and Social
When I first took Lucy home, I was going to be the iron fist training my dog. I read books, articles and talked to every dog person about how to handle a dog. I was going…..
Communication is Key
I will always love this picture for what it represents. While part of her reason for getting here was the shade, the other was that she was in her last days, and she was just tired. Maybe she didn’t think I was hitting them that well,……
Real Friendship
They say you have to be smarter than your Jack Russell, but I say you don’t have to be smarter when you have a dog …..
What Do They Know?
These eyes did a lot of talking. These eyes called me out on my own bs. When I spoke to her she seemed to understand. She knew what….
Thoughts on Life, Dogs, Love and Lucy
To be absolutely, positively, no holds barred honest, I do not miss having a dog. You really have to be there for them. You can’t decide to work 12 straight hours and not let them out. You can’t forget to feed them. You can’t let them poop in the neighbors yard and not pick it […]
Sweet and Sour
I took the opportunity of Thanksgiving to reflect on all the good in my life, and my mind drifted to bucket list checkoffs. Some of them are still on my list, and some of those may never be accomplished. But no matter what I accomplish with the rest of my life, I cannot imagine any greater joy than…..
Can We Not Fight?
In today’s world I think of Lucy often. I think she knew what was going to happen in 2020 and decided she didn’t want to be a part of it. I see people polarized, unable to talk to each other without their blood pressure going up, and name calling and anger being the rule of the day. All Lucy wanted was to see people smile. She was my refuge from
Enthusiasm and Joy
Enthusiasm was always Lucy’s way. Nothing gave her more joy than seeing me happy.
Partners
To me, Lucy was more than a dog. She was not my companion on our adventures. She was not always obedient. She was not always happy with my behavior. She never seemed to be satisfied, she always wanted more. More for me, more for us, and more out of life. More than anything else, she was my partner. That is right, partner. We butted heads, we disagreed, we negotiated and compromised so much that eventually, we knew each other inside and out. She knew if I did not do it, I couldn’t do it. At the time of this picture, she hated looking at the camera. I was laughing at my unsuccessful attempts
Wrapped Around Her Little Paw?
In a recent comment, which I initially disregarded, it was inferred that my dog had me wrapped around her paw. The person read the book and loved it, but I did not get the meaning of our relationship across. This is why I will do a rewrite. Lucy loved me, and I loved her. It was never about who was the Alpha. She got her way sometime, and I got my way sometime. It was all a happily done exercise in give and take. Lucy figured out my motives. I was ridiculed in her later years because she would not always come when called. But she already knew that I was goaded into calling for her, and she wanted to let me know that she would not participate with someone who was just being a jerk, calling me out to prove something that she and I knew. If it was important, she did it. If it wasn’t she didn’t. Trust and respect were the core of our relationship, and that is why I will always love her..
