Do you have a pet? A dog or a cat that keeps you company, gives you companionship, is there when you need a silent (sometimes not so silent) friend? I have two little dogs. In my transition from mom of three children to empty-nester, I knew something about myself. I NEED to be needed. Now I have two small dogs. And let me tell you...dogs NEED you to need them. They are always there to greet me when I come home. They follow me around the house and sit close by when I'm working. They are always happy with whatever I fix them for dinner and come lounge with me in my lounge chair. I LOVE my little dogs. And just like when my children were little, I can't pass the toy aisle without glancing at the toys they might enjoy. Dog toy aisle, that is! So now I have a dog toy addiction. If not for the firm "no" of my husband, I'd bring home a toy every time I go to the store. My Yorkie loves the ones that squeak. My Malti-poo turns her nose up in disdain (I think she's really a cat deep down inside).
Do you have a pet? Or did you when you were a child? Tell me about them. I remember each of mine and mourn their losses, just like family. Because that is what they are.
18 comments:
Your babies are adorable, Elle! I love Yorkies (but not their squeaky bark lol). Dh and I each have a Chihuahua. In a house of three daughters, two female cats and three or four (depending on the year and losses) female dogs, all inside, I got dh a boy Chi. A year later I got my female chi- note that all other dogs and one cat belonged to our dds before this point. We still have four female dogs, and two are still our dd's. But the boy is dh's side lump. He adores dh. Oh- and dh actually has a female chi, too, now. A new rescue. Nice post.
What I love about the little dogs is that they never grow up (grow big). They are always puppies in my mind. And my malti-poo started out as my dd's but every time my dh says she goes with my dd when she finishes college...I say fuggetaboutit!
I have 4 dogs... 2 Shih Tzus a Standard Poodle and a German Shorthair pointer... The GSP is a power chewer and has successfully destroyed "indestructible" toys.. I found Deer antlers and all the dogs love them!!! They don't splinter and everyone enjoys them... Although I do have an issue with Toddler rules of ownership.. it is not uncommon to find one dog laying on 3 antlers while chewing on one.
We have two Dobermans, and they are like our children (like you, empty nester). In fact, my husband said this weekend he spent more time with his dog than any of his friends (and I think likes him more).
On the pet toys - my guys like to destroy them. We have to go with the industrial strength squeaky ones. Blue, the blue dobie puppy, revels in finding the squeak and killing it.
Adorable, Elle!
Our late dog, Maxie, used to eviscerate her toys--she'd get a new one and work on it for a day or two (sometimes longer) until she got it open and could get the squeaker out. Then she was done with it. So we went through a lot of toys with her.
Our current dog, Maggie May, was rescued from terrible conditions. We don't think she ever had a toy before she came to us. Our son taught her how to play with one. Now that she knows, we do spoil her with new toys for various occasions--birthday, Christmas, Easter bunny... ;)
Our empty nest was repopulated by Smokey (Scottish Terrier) and Bandit (Pembroke Welsh Corgi). To keep Bandit busy with good things, we ended up doing agility with both dogs.
Only Bandit shows any interst in toys (both will chew the chewy bones - agree with deer antlers). Bandit can de-sqeek a toy in less than three minutes. I finally gave up and now I buy a bunch of squeekers and sew than bacck in when he'd not looking.
Carrie - yes, dogs are good at a lot of thing, but sharing is NOT one of them.
I have always had some type of animal throughout my 42 years. Right now I have a Brussel's Griffon whose all black with a white spot on his chest. His name is Inkblot. When we first got Inkish (our nickname for him) he was a puppy. In fact he is born the same year as my 6 year old son and both will be turning 7 this year. He would never play with toys as a puppy. We always thought it odd. LOL but within the last two years he has decided to visit his puppy side and plays with toys now. He plays fetch etc. It is so funny. He is part of the family.
Nikki
I have three cats in the house. Precious was first one. She refused to be an outside cat. She belonged to my daughter but my daughter left her here when she married. Since she has spent her whole life here since a kitten.
Second on Bathsheba I saved. She was not eating well. I finally mixed pasta with her pet food and got her to start eating food. Before that I bottle fed her with baby formula. I call her my fat cat.
Then there is Sugar. Her Momma dumped her so I bottle fed her. After her I told my husband no more. She is our crazy cat.
I have a whole basket of cat toys.
Outside I have my huge dog Chester who is part German Shepherd and part Saint Bernard. As I said huge.
I also have about 8 outside cats.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com
Jane Squires
What sweethearts. I have two cats who can't seem to function without me, and I love to bring them toys. Unfortunately Jose and Junior tend to destroy just about any toy. (It's those killer intincts they get from their jungle ancestors.) So we only indulge them at holidays. But the cats are creative and any small object that falls to the floor becomes a hocky puck. I love watching the guys slide across our hardwood floors in pursuit of a bottle cap.
I have a rescue dog with a drinking problem. I got him for my husband who was very depressed and I thought walking the dog would get him up an going in the morning. The dog loves to slurp down my after work drink when my attention is diverted for one second, and who is going to argue with a 80+ lb. dutch shepherd? Not me, I'm smarter than I look
Ane Ryan Walker
My husband and I have a beautiful Airedale Terrier that is spoiled rotten. He has done a wonderful job taining us. Our children are all grown and when we got our Airedale, he moved right in and took over. We love it. I love the way he welcome us home and her pretty much goes everywhere with us when we are rving. Thanks for sharing Elle
I had pets as a child and my kids had pets up til we moved to KC and had to leave our dog Simon behind with family. We have a house yet but we haven't bought a new pet or adopted one. I'm waiting for the DH to say yay! We'll prob get a boxer but I'd love to adopt a pet from the local shelter. I got lotsa love to give.
I have a dark calico cat that we adopted from the wild several years ago. We had 2 dogs when we got her. The poodle was so funny he would get down on all fours and bark at her until she would chase him. I had her spaded and declawed because I never let her outside and she and her sister had already demolished the back of the double recliners. Every so often she would slip out the patio door when it was open. She didn[t go far just under a coffee table we had out htere. The poodle would see her and run over and herd her by barking at her until she ran back into the house. I sometimes thought the poodle having been raised with a ct thought he was one. The other little dog was a female and she was easy going and the poodle would run in circles and stop and bark at her like come on let's paly. She'd just whine and cry. Both dogs died about a year apart. It made the move easier down here to move in with my sister because we couldn't have brought the dogs with us. FOr the first six months my nephew kept my cat. Then he moved where he couldn't have her. So I had to keep her locked in my room there at my sister's house because her cat has FIV a feline version of HIV and if he bit her she'd get it from her. So we kept them apart. Now the cat and I have our own place she roams teh house at will. I watch her as she eyes the hall closet where the central heat and air unit is like something will jump out and grab her. She often sleeps on the bed with me. I wake up and start petting her and she stalks off as if to say, "Do you have to wake me up too?" The other night she was walking across my bed up and down I told her either get still or get down. I think she got down.Other times she gets up and peeks at me like she's making sure I'm there. Her name is Pretty Face, my husband named her, saying she had the prettiest face of the 3 kittens we rescued that day. My great niece asked me if I was going to get a puppy. I told her no not at $400 for a deposit and have to pick up all puppy poop outside. If I ever get my own house maybe a little dog. I love little dogs. But out poodle was not big but not little. He was a minature and almost a small standard. We joked he flunked obiedence school and had ADHD. He was one hyper dog that ignored all commands.
Sorry for the lon gpost but I needed to share.
I've really enjoyed everyone's stories about their pets and their pets' toys. All this talk about toys makes me want to rush out and buy another for my babies.
Our doggie crossed Rainbow Bridge a couple of years ago and we still have some of her toys around the house...one of these days we may find a new furbaby to love but haven't quite reached that stage yet.
I have 2 dogs one is chow chow mix and a other is mckenzie river husky
when we go for walk he bring his toy
MR BOBO with him
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