It must have been four years since I started this exercise...Mainly for the energy bomb which we had rescued from an Outback Queensland farm, a Kelpie X Cattle Dog...He is Scraps...
When we first started to go for walks it was not just the little puppy who was getting used to being at one end of a lead, it was also us. He was our first dog. In fact our first responsibility...We did a lot of things wrong, the absolute dont's in the dog trainers guide. He slept with us, on our bed, on our pillow...he was given table scraps, he was allowed to pull on the lead...I know what you must be thinking, horrible dog owners. But we learnt...We learnt that, him sleeping on our bed meant we were running out of room, so we had to try and train him to sleep off the bed...table scraps stopped when he started putting on weight and embarrassed us when we had guests over, about pulling on the lead...still working on it...
Well I guess the main thing that we learnt was Responsibility...being university students,catering for a career while doing assignments and deadlines as well doing a part time job so that you have enough to have bread on the table and dog biscuits in the bowl, is not the easiest. I still remember that we missed out on pub crawl and end of semester bash so that our little puppy is not left alone...and I know that I am not the only one to do so...For many the novelty of a little cute puppy wears off when the puppy grows up and starts chewing on your garden and barking till your neighbours complain. But if you still love your dog the way he loves you, then you should know that you have already formed your family...
As Scraps was getting older and our work hours were increasing I noticed that Scraps needed company. He was getting terribly upset when we left for work and would spend hours sitting next to the gate waiting for us to come back...So arrived Monkey (the cat)...
Getting Monkey was not planned...She just stormed into our life and never left...The two (Scraps and Monkey) would spend hours playing trying to figure our who is who. While Monkey greeted us like Scraps, barking and jumping, yes your read right, her mewing did sound like a bark and would actually jump up like a dog would. Scraps developed this habit of cleaning himself like a cat would. And they got along real well...
Soon life was to change for us, we relocated, from the sunny beaches of Gold Coast, Queensland, we moved to the peaceful cool capital, Canberra, ACT...We packed the Commodore with the dog, the cat, four suitcases and drove to our new home...
Things started changing after we moved to Canberra, it was longer hours, new place and the cat had the freedom of going out around the neighbourhood while Scraps was still locked in the backyard when we were not home, at work. Hence, Scraps became miserable...and again started spending time near the gate...That was when we decided that it was time to either give up Scraps to a home where he would be able to spend all the time with his family or get him a real dog companion...Since giving him up was not an option, he was already family, you cant give up your kids...so we bit the bullet and decided in good time to get another dog...
Sasha, was sitting in a cage aloof while her brother crawled all over my hand licking my face and hand. I had pretty much decided I was getting the Dog and not the bitch. As the other attendant told me that the male German Shepherd in my arms was very friendly and loved everyone I felt a little wet nose on my elbow. I looked at the cage and Sasha had reached up, and was pawing me. As I touched her head she propped herself on her hind legs and started scratching my arms. I picked her up and very casually with her huge ears and paws, she just went over y shoulder, rested her head on my neck and let out a deep sigh. It felt like she knew me for ages and was already my dog. Hence, Sasha became Sasha. I completed all the formalities and paperwork to bring Sasha home while she patiently chewed on my shoelaces...It was meant to be a surprise for my wife who had grown up with a GSD and loved the breed...
When I was in Uni, even before Scraps or Monkey or Sasha, I had met Ahana. A very good student, quiet and very intelligent...while she aced exams, I would be bunking lectures, but I guess we were meant to be together. I knew her as my cousins friend from a very young age, we came to Australia to Uni, nearly together. We helped each other in more than one way and eventually moved in together. Some friends say that we 'had a dog' together...and now after four years, of having two dogs and a cat together, we got married...
So in more than one way I am grateful to my dogs...for teaching me responsibility, love, discipline, fun, fitness...and above all completing my familiy...
A Dog a day, keeps the doctor away...
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