Lessons I've learned from my dogs

I have owned many pets in my life...cats, dogs, hamsters, birds...even a snake! I tend to be more of a cat person, but oh! - what I have learned from my dogs is priceless.

Our first family dog was named Dusty. She was a Springer Spaniel and what a delight she was! We use to put pink bows in her ears and pretend she was our playmate. She was a good sport about it most of the time. We knew when she had enough. Then my parents decided to breed her and our house became a place filled with puppy smells, noises, and chaos...what fun!

My dad was an avid hunter and Dusty was a birthday gift to him from my mom. Dusty retrieved many, many different kinds of animals for my dad in her life, but what she gave to our family far exceeded her hunting skills.

You see, Dusty was my very first real best friend and my greatest teacher about Love. She was just always there for me - no matter what. She always just seemed to know when I felt sad and she would just come. I didn't even need to ask.

And then the day came when cancer took hold of her and it was time to say goodbye. That was a hard, hard day. And I didn't think I could ever open my heart up to love like that again.

That time came years later after I got married and we got Cally who was a black Labrador Retriever so full of energy and life that there was never a dull moment with her around! I think of her "bone obsession" and laugh big - she could play ball for hours and hours and hours...

When the kids came along, she naturally took on her role of loving, protecting and serving them as well. Not once with all of the kids pulling on her ears or jumping on her back for a ride did she ever lash out in anger. Not once did she even growl at them. And even though she did take a back seat to them, she never once held it against us. She just continued to just love, love, love...always wagging her tail even up until the very end.

At 12 years old Cally needed to rest because she had served and loved us so well. And we needed to release her to go to Rainbow Bridge because that is where her reward would be. And did she ever deserve it. Her life and the lessons she taught us will never be forgotten. The joy and love she gave us will always be in our hearts. Her love and service to her master, Mark, was unwavering up... until her last breath.

This past summer we were willing to love again...and now we have Daisy May who is 2 and a Pomeranian Poodle who has definitely brought a new kind of love and excitement to our home! Just come hang out at our house for awhile and you will see what I mean - often I can see out of the corner of my eye Daisy May chasing one of our cats all around the house, up and down the stairs, out the patio door... it is quite comical actually. Sometimes I am convinced that she thinks she is a cat and not a dog. She does after all prefer their food to hers. I've given up that battle a long time ago. :)

I wonder what is it that keeps a person, like me for instance, going back for more with these four-legged creatures? What is it that allows us to risk a broken heart again?

I think it is simply called Love. They love us in a way that is so unconditional - it is like they put their whole being into it. It doesn't matter if they are 80 pounds or 8. They just want to love and who can say no to that? That kind of devotion, loyalty, service?

Well, obviously not me...in fact having 3 cats and 1 dog probably shows pretty good evidence of that.

I have learned that dogs are one of our greatest teachers. They teach us how to truly love one another, how to serve one another, how to live, and how to make the most of life each and every day.

They don't hold onto grudges. They live in the moment. There is no such thing as living in the past or worrying about the future. They are slow to anger, quick to love, quick to forgive, and loyal no matter what. They take time to have fun and play and will do anything to get us to join right in. I think they have a greater understanding than humans do about just how short life really is.

They have taught me that naps are a really good thing. They have taught me that there is no fear in loving. They have taught me that it is okay to give your heart away. They have taught me that love is worth it. Love is worth the risk, the chance.

In closing, I would like to honor all of the four-legged creatures that have already gone to Rainbow Bridge, especially those special canines I hold dear to my heart and I like to call my beloved: Dusty and Cally.

I dedicate this blog post to my sister, Tracy, as she grieves the passing of her two beloved dogs, Domino and Buddy in just the past 10 days as they both made their way to Rainbow Bridge to receive their reward...the honor they are due...and to be reunited with all that have gone before them...to suffer no more...to only know Love.

Each and every one of their lives mattered beyond words - furry skin or not. Each and every one of their lives taught us something grand. I know my sister's heart will heal and she will be able to love again...in time.

Because like I already said, love is worth the risk. It just is.