On December 23, King and Molly will be 10 years old. It seems like it was yesterday when I saw them for the first time, in the little house where 8 of the thirteen pups in the litter were bouncing off the walls. The rest had found homes at that point, and I wondered why King, about as friendly as it gets, wasn't picked. Molly was and is very timid, so her still being there was a little more understandable, but it still was odd to me. I hadn't planned on getting pups so soon, and was actually about to put a deposit on two Greater Swiss Mountain Dog pups that would be ready in the later summer, if all went well. I had planned to wait on getting another dog for at least 6 months, thinking I would finally "do it right", instead of just getting a pup on the spur of the moment.
But, it didn't happen, my friend told us about his ex-girlfriend having 13 pups to find homes for. I thought about it for a minute or so, and got the address and phone number. I called them later that day, and were told they were "Lab mixes", and I guess it's true, but maybe they are a quarter Lab, at most, as the mom was a Lab/Doberman with the Dobe dominating, and who knows what dad was, supposedly a Husky that lived next door. My mother and I went over the next night, and walked into a circus. 8 pups, the mother, and a 12 year old kid were bouncing off the walls!
There was no way I wouldn't have taken King, who climbed up into my mother's lap and instantly fell asleep, and Molly had followed him over, and I was hooked on her too. I picked up King and Molly the next morning, and took them to the vet, who pronounced them "fine". King has been the healthiest, by far, dog I have ever had, but Molly, sadly has her share of problems, including severe allergies, a hip that is bad, but hasn't caused major problems, and an assortment of phobias, and a general squirelliness. As usual with two pups that already know each other, there were no problems with dominance or rank, since that had been settled long before. And as usual with two pups at once, regardless of what the "experts" claim, puppyhood was much easier than with a single pup, as they played and slept a lot because of all that playing. Housebreaking was a dream, in two weeks it was over with, and Molly has been perfect since. King, as is to be expected, hasn't been, but he's pretty close.
Now they have white faces and their eyes are a little cloudy, and I think about how long they have left, and get all upset. They don't act old, yet, but I know it's coming. And I know the end is coming too. Hopefully, it won't be for 4 or 5 years, at least, but I know it IS coming, and too soon. I know I will have another dog, or dogs, and I love Molly, but King is my "dog of a lifetime", and when he goes, it's gonna be worse than any dog that went before him. Time really is flying by, both for me, and for us all.
But, it didn't happen, my friend told us about his ex-girlfriend having 13 pups to find homes for. I thought about it for a minute or so, and got the address and phone number. I called them later that day, and were told they were "Lab mixes", and I guess it's true, but maybe they are a quarter Lab, at most, as the mom was a Lab/Doberman with the Dobe dominating, and who knows what dad was, supposedly a Husky that lived next door. My mother and I went over the next night, and walked into a circus. 8 pups, the mother, and a 12 year old kid were bouncing off the walls!
There was no way I wouldn't have taken King, who climbed up into my mother's lap and instantly fell asleep, and Molly had followed him over, and I was hooked on her too. I picked up King and Molly the next morning, and took them to the vet, who pronounced them "fine". King has been the healthiest, by far, dog I have ever had, but Molly, sadly has her share of problems, including severe allergies, a hip that is bad, but hasn't caused major problems, and an assortment of phobias, and a general squirelliness. As usual with two pups that already know each other, there were no problems with dominance or rank, since that had been settled long before. And as usual with two pups at once, regardless of what the "experts" claim, puppyhood was much easier than with a single pup, as they played and slept a lot because of all that playing. Housebreaking was a dream, in two weeks it was over with, and Molly has been perfect since. King, as is to be expected, hasn't been, but he's pretty close.
Now they have white faces and their eyes are a little cloudy, and I think about how long they have left, and get all upset. They don't act old, yet, but I know it's coming. And I know the end is coming too. Hopefully, it won't be for 4 or 5 years, at least, but I know it IS coming, and too soon. I know I will have another dog, or dogs, and I love Molly, but King is my "dog of a lifetime", and when he goes, it's gonna be worse than any dog that went before him. Time really is flying by, both for me, and for us all.
