One of the greatest pleasures in life is having a dog in your home. It is a shame that dogs don't live longer. Their life is short, ten to fifteen years, maybe twenty sometimes.
When my last dog, Izzy, died I cried for six months. Why don't some people realize that a dog is part of the family. A dog shows so much love and they deserve to have that love returned to them. Never get the feeling that you are to busy to spend time with your dog. A pat on the head, a hug, the time you let them lick your face, will put a twinkle in their eyes.
I have had several dogs in my life and I have never compared one to another. Each one has their own special characteristics. Some of them are sick and need some special care. My present dog, Cookie, I adopted from a shelter. Cookie had been abused and abandoned. When I saw her photo on a website I knew that I needed to see her. I fell in love with her immediately and she went home with us that day.
It wasn't long before, Cookie, had some violent seizures. Some people would have returned her to the shelter and demanded their money back. Never for a minute did I have that feeling. Instead I saw a little dog that was nervous, scared, and wanted someone to love her. When she would get one of her violent seizures I would get on the floor with her and protect her from hurting herself.
She would thrash around violently, her eyes would roll back, she would shake, she would often froth at the mouth, sometimes biting her tongue, she might have blood from her mouth, she might poop or pee on my arm. I would never stop comforting her until she would come out of her seizure. At one point she had four in one day. Finally with the help of our vet it was determined that she has epilepsy. Cookie was put on medication and immediately the seizures were under control. Even though Cookie is on medication she still does have a seizure every now and then. The vet said she probably always would. However, now she can feel them coming on and she will come to me and want to be held. I don't care if it takes a long time she will be held, petted, kept calm, until the seizure is over.
When you purchase or adopt that dog, they are then a part of your family. They need and deserve to be cared for, they need and deserve your love, they need medical attention if needed. After Cookie got on medication she started sleeping better, became more playful, eats better, and is a great addition to the family. I love her with all my heart. I'm looking at her now stretched out on the carpet in the sunlight. She loves the feel of the warmth on her body. I get down and pet her, she feels so warm in the sunlight. She lifts her head up for a second, looks at me, and I swear she smiles. Love is what it is all about.
Copyright Larry W. Fish 2015
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