I have a confession to make….I am one of those weird dog people…I wasn’t born that way…in my prior life I made fun of those weird dog people. Then I became one of those weird dog people. It was not planned….who plans these things anyway? Don’t get me wrong…I always liked dogs, I just never envisioned having one. Now, I could not imagine my life without my dogs. So, when did this weirdness begin? In 1992, a very adorable puppy came into my life. It was supposed to be a temporary situation. I called him “Dog” for the first several weeks. Then I began to think of names, which for me is a process. I figured that I couldn’t keep calling him “Dog”. After much deliberation, I settled on Zachary. So began my love affair with rottweilers and my ZKids.
Currently, I share my life with Zoleigh and Zendyle. Zachary went to the Rainbow bridge on 25 September 2004 and Zayne joined him on 30 March 2009.
I’ve been sharing my life with dogs for almost two decades. Each of my dogs has taught me something and all have given me gifts.
Zachary…the love affair begins….
As I wrote earlier, in my prior life I was not a dog person. I liked dogs, but I was not a dog person. So when I went to my Dad’s house to see the puppies, I had no intention of bringing one home. I did not know anything about dogs…..less about puppies. They were cute and soft…but so are some babies. The puppies were so adorable and my Dad appeared to have his hands full…so I figured I would help him out by taking one of the puppies home…just until he found the right home of course. That was my intention. I would not get attached to the cute ball of fur with the big paws. I was merely volunteering to take care of him…until the right home was found. I did not name him…that would have been too personal. I just called him “dog” for a few weeks. He seemed to follow me everywhere….he was like my shadow…come to think of it, I wonder why I didn’t call him shadow? Hmm… I should mention that I was unemployed that summer….which may have been the reason I spent so much time with the puppy. He was one smart puppy….he knew what he was doing….helping me to bond with him. Since no one was interested in him…I thought I should name him….I really couldn’t keep calling him “dog”. I made lists and more lists. I think lists are my favorite things to make….I make them all the time. I made lists of all kinds of names...human names…no real dog names. There was no “Spot” or “Buddy” on my list. After endless deliberation, I settled on Zachary. It was a strong name and it suited him.
Zachary was a city dog for the first six years of his life. We lived in an apartment and we walked the city streets. I knew nothing about dogs and less about Rottweilers. In some ways, this was a good thing. I was open to the experience. I read books, went to classes and observed. Reading gave me some knowledge, but the real learning occurred every day. Zachary was a good teacher. He taught me about living in the moment and how to find joy in each day. He taught me about people and helped me to see the good and not so good in people. I was blessed to share my life with him for over twelve years.
Zayne…the boy who would not be in Zachary’s shadow. After Zachary's passing, I knew I would get another dog, but I was concerned that I would compare him to Zachary. So, I waited. I waited for over a year until I could not wait any longer. I missed having a dog. So, I began my search. I went online to see what the local rottweiler rescue groups had and there he was....a Katrina survivor. While Hurricane Katrina brought him north, he was always meant to come to me. He was larger than life and lived with such zeal. He had a way of entering a room that managed to captivate everyone. He had boundless energy and lived a lifetime in his four short years. He was an old soul, with grace and wisdom he made many friends. It was clear that he did not want to be an only dog like Zachary was…..so he helped us find Zoleigh.
Zoleigh is my sunshine. She adores me with all that she has. She is the dog I can cuddle with endlessly, waits for me to go down the stairs, sits patiently while I prepare her meals…and she is without a doubt, the smartest. Zoleigh’s world is very small. She needs it to be. She’s been with us for almost five years. We’ve tried many things to help her. I wanted her to be able to enjoy life as my boys have….to be able to run and romp with other dogs, to enjoy the company of other people. But, these were my ideas of her enjoying life…not hers. I finally get it…she does enjoy life…on her terms. She’s happy being home. She’s happy with her canine brother. She’s happy with her family. That’s what she wants. I am at peace with it.
Zendyle is easy going, confident….in many ways the culmination of all my dreams for a dog. After Zayne’s sudden passing, I was not sure we would get another dog. Zoleigh is reluctant to accept other dogs, but she was quite bereft after the loss of Zayne, so we looked for another canine brother for her. We found this Texas native who needed a good home and decided to let Zoleigh see if she was okay with him. Within minutes of their meeting, she was doing her wiggly butt, happy dance….so it was a go! I feel so blessed to have him in my life. He is a certified Therapy Dog who works primarily with children. Zendyle needs his own “Paw Pilot” His social calendar rivals some people I know. I don’t have a social calendar as his keeps me busy enough!
I never imagined having a dog when I was a kid. I lived in the city and my mom was clearly not a dog person. Actually…and I know this is hard to believe, but I was afraid of dogs. You see, there was this shepherd that lived on my street…Butch…he was big and he barked a lot…and I was afraid of him. Looking back, I feel sad about that. Butch was probably a great dog, but I did not know anything about dogs at that time. I wish I did, because I might have enjoyed Butch. Now that I am an adult, and have dogs, I feel that it’s important for my dogs to be ambassadors…and one way is for them to become a therapy dogs. So many impressions are made during our childhood. I believe that a good therapy dog can help create a positive association with dogs.
I will be sharing lots of stories about my ZKIDS on this blog….some will be past stories as there are many to tell. I will also be sharing the continued adventures.
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