My First Year...

...of being a Dog Guardian

~ by Hootie

I remember being a young girl and reading a mystery novel by Daphne du Maurier called Rebecca. In the story, the dog Jasper is a faithful, non-important, companion to Mrs. de Winters. Jasper stuck with me and I dreamt that some day I would grow up and have a dog just like him. Winston is my Jasper.

This past November we celebrated being Winston's guardian for one year. I grew up with dogs in my household, but I never really took care of them. I have learned so much from him over the past year!

26 Things I have learned from Winston

Feel free to insert: a dog, of a dog or with a dog after each "..."

*how to walk...

*how to clean up waste...

*how much one can shed

*how to bath...

*how to brush...

*how to pick ticks off...

*how to give pills...

*how to pet the belly...

*how to trim nails...

*how to play fetch...

*how to dry off...

*how to pick burrs out of the fur...

*how to I.D. tapeworms in the wastes...

*how to cuddle...(especially a bigger dog!)

*how to praise...

*how to wipe off dirty paws...

*how to go for rides...

*how to eat ice cream...

*how to hunt, even though retired,...

*how to de-skunk...

*how to blame flatulence...

*how real that flatulence blaming may be...

*how to ignore begging...

*how to share pizza...

*how to howl...

*how to trust he'll return should he get loose.

I don't know how to put into words the happiness I feel from Winston each time I return home. He pulls himself out of bed, groggy from napping, sits down, places his head in my hands so I can cuddle his head and his back feet slowly slide out from under him causing us both to end up down on the ground, his tail thump, thump, thumping as he looks up at me and seems to be smiling a doggie hello.

When I am cooking in the kitchen he lays in his bed, keeps his eyes slightly opened and in my direction, like a sentry keeping guard of his charge. Should I leave the room, he lifts his head inquiring when I'll return. If I linger too long he'll come survey the situation. He is always nearby. When the food starts to smell yummy, he'll come see if he can be a taste-tester.

If I jingle my car keys to go pick up one of my children from wherever, he runs to the door, ready to jump in the van for a ride. Without saying a word, I can open the house door, pop the van sliding door and Winston automatically hops in, ready to be my backseat driver.

Hat Head...I have also learned to enjoy walking in every weather condition possible. Cold rain is my least favorite, but dressed appropriately all weather can be fun. Winston enjoys trails much more than walking on the road. The nature lover in me always spots interesting finds. I have learned to focus on protecting my camera when I walk and worrying less about my hair (hat head). :) That's a tough thing for ANY girl to get over!

A lack of vacation. This may be the one area that has suffered in the past year. Our freedom to have someone just drop by once or twice a day and feed the cats so we can vacation has disappeared. I am not willing to put Winston in a kennel. I do not know what his conditions pre-us were, but I am pretty sure he wasn't a pampered pooch. My fear is that he was strictly a hunting dog and left in a cage most of the time...hence his strong, strong hunting desires and instincts. Maybe this year we will be able to get away. When we do go on vacation we will either take W with us, or call upon a friend who would love to spoil our pooch a little for us. :)

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't proclaim how happy I am that we have Winston! How wonderful love at first sight is...I am so glad his picture was in the newspaper and that our shelter could care for him until we were brought together.

Have you donated to your local animal shelter this year?

~Hootie