Dogs, Dogs and More Dogs

I am a dog lover; actually I love all animals but dogs are my favorite.  I have been a dog lover for my entire life and always wanted one in the house; one that could sleep with me and follow me around.  One that would think I hung the moon and the stars.

My dad was never one for animals in the house.  He was raised on a farm where all animals stayed outside and served a purpose.  Growing up we always had hunting dogs of some sort; beagles, blue tick coon hounds, etc.  These were working dogs and they did what they were supposed to do and then they went back into their pen and waited for the next opportunity to do what they were supposed to do.  Don't get me wrong, we treated them very well.  They were loved and taken care of.  When the weather was cold Dad always gave them extra bedding and made sure to go out a few times a day to check to make sure their water wasn't frozen, but they never came in the house no matter what.

When I graduated high school, I told my parents all I wanted for my graduation present was a dog in the house.  I always had my heart set on a toy poodle but the neighbor across the street was getting rid of one of her dogs and I saw it as my chance.  His name was Tikey and he was a Snoodle.  He blended in well with our family and soon it was hard to imagine what it was like before he came.  Since I worked, Tikey stayed at home with my mom most of the time and they formed a very close bond; so close in fact when I left home at age 21, mom wouldn't let him go with me.  So he was no longer my dog, but my mom's dog.

I got married at age 22 and my new husband was very much into sports.  Every night of the week he played or did something different;  basketball, bowling, working out, softball, etc.  He was never home with me.  One night I gave him an ultimatum.  Either you give up some of the sports and spend more time with me or get me a dog.  Without batting an eye he said, "What kind of dog would you like?"  That is how Freddie, our Yorkshire Terrier became part of our family.

Of course, convinced that Freddie was lonely, about a year later we added Lacey, a Maltese.  Both Freddie and Lacey have since passed away and we liked the breeds so much, we decided to try to find a mix of the two for our next dog.  At the time, they were not easy to find.  Called a Morkie, they bring to the table traits and personalities from both breeds, without (hopefully) the breed specific medical issues.

We found Boo (named because she was born on Halloween) and about 6 months later we found Sully (Boo and Sully from Monsters, Inc.).  Once again our home was full of barking, sloppy kisses and tiny footprints.  A year or so later they were joined by Mali (pronounced may-lee which means honey colored in Hawaiian - I had just returned from a trip).  Three Morkies with three different personalities all made our home and our lives complete. 

We still have the three Morkies but last fall we had a new addition to our family.  She was a rescue dog and "supposed" to be my daughters (I'll take care of her.  I'll feed her.  I'll take her for walks.  I'll run the vacuum twice a week) but you know how that goes.  She is a Puggle named Princess and so different than our three.  First off she sheds which has taken some getting used to.  Being part beagle, she is a runner.  If she gets out just watch the blur because she is gone!  She is also a pig when it comes to eating.  She eats like it could possibly be her last meal.  Another thing is her bark is so deep and she howls.  She doesn't like the tone the alarm clock makes so she sits and howls at it until we turn it off. 

I thought my heart was full with the three Morkies and never knew I needed another dog but Princess has brought more life and laughter to our home.   Open your heart, you never know what might find it's way in.