Shiner was my heart dog. Only my second dog, but she was very special to me. She was originally my brother's dog, he got her from a shelter in eastern Washington. She was a very strong Chow/Lab (god knows what else) mix. Hard-headed, aloof and pretty aggressive - she leapt at my brother when he entered her cage, hit him in the face and gave him a black eye. Hence the name.
I met Shiner when I was about 4 years old (she was about 4 or older, or so my brother thought) and my brother moved into our house. We didn't love each other at first sight - she was my brother's dog, then. For about a year, she was Matt's dog. She played fetch with me and grew to like me as a playmate, but pined away for Matt, barked and whined when he was gone, etc. Our relationship really changed about a year later. I was in the pasture with our calves, and one of our more aggressive older heifers somehow got into the calf pasture. She cornered me near the electric fence and I didn't have anywhere to go besides slide through the electric fence and get shocked. My parents were watching me and ran to the gate to distract her, but she was still dead-set on putting me in my place. Shiner got between me and the heifer and pushed her back. She held her there until my parents came to get me and put her back in the right pasture.
After that, she never stopped looking out for me. I respected her more after that (I was a pushy, bossy kid) and she returned that respect with her complete devotion. We grew up together, she was very trustworthy and protective around the cattle (but not afraid to protect us from the cattle that she normally protected) our ranch dog, but she was also my buddy. She knew when the school bus would drop me off, and always ran down our 1/2 mile driveway to wait for me to get off the bus and walk back to the house with me. Every single day. She even knew my early release days. :lol-sign:
When I was about 7, my brother moved out. He decided he would take Shiner with him to his new house, a little place a few miles away. I was devastated, my parents missed having a dog to protect the ranch, and we were thinking of bringing home a Great Pyrenees pup when I found her waiting at the bus stop for me. She was panting like mad, and had obviously JUST arrived at the bus stop. She ran home.
She did this nearly every day for a week or so, until Matt called us and asked us to keep her until he could get a fenced yard. We said absolutely, and Shiner was my dog for 6 more years. Matt did get a fenced yard, but never asked us about taking her back. Technically, she *was* his, but her heart belonged to me.
As we matured together, we just bonded closer. I grew up and she got less protective and "bossy" around me, but she never stopped watching out for me. She saved me from so many potentially horrible situations as a kid. I was a very independent, headstrong kid and liked to go places alone. My parents would only let me out to play at night if I had Shiner with me. She was my bodyguard.
Gawd, that dog was so special to me. When we moved and started traveling in an RV, she got very depressed. She was about 14 then, we think, and obviously missed having a job to do. She was never off the leash in the RV parks - always either inside the small 5th wheel, tethered outside or on a walk with me. We found ways to sneak her off the leash for a good game of fetch, but she wasn't happy. We didn't see this ending any time soon, and in autumn of 2003 I made the decision to find another home for her. A lovely woman on a reservation had acreage, chickens, goats and children for Shiner to protect, and a connection with her upon meeting her. The woman drove from northern Arizona, met her and took her home after Shiner and I said our goodbyes. I bawled for weeks. When I recovered and was satisfied that she had a good home with Leilani, I brought home Ripley. I loved him to death, though I never forgot about shiner. Not even for a day. I periodically exchanged emails with her new owner, but lost touch after a few months.
She lived for about another year. I got the e-mail from her owner in autumn of 2004, telling me that she had passed away. I was heartbroken, even more than I was when I rehomed her. I felt nothing but regret that I hadn't been able to spend that last year with her.
A couple weeks after that, I found out about a male Border Collie puppy whose placement with a family had fallen through due to divorce. 2 weeks later, he was mine.
I haven't had Dakota for very long, but he's a very special dog too. I have the same connection with him at age 2 that I had with Shiner at age 12+. We understand each other. It's silly, but I do think my girl was looking out for me when I got Dakota. He's not Shiner reincarnated, by any means - he's a ditz sometimes, he's very flamboyant and his demonstrations of affection are overwhelming. Really, as far as personality goes, he's her opposite - he's pure enthusiasm 100% of the time, and she was the picture of apathy (unless there was work or swimming to be done). He has a spirit so like hers, though. He has the same intelligent face, he's so very devoted and really is a "lassie" type dog. Very responsible. We have a very deep, special connection and I'm looking forward to growing up with him.
I don't really have 'favorite' dogs, I've LOVED every dog I've had, and all have been very special to me. Ripley especially, being the first puppy I raised, is very dear to me. Buster and Buddy were such sweet, goofy dogs, too. I loved them. There's just something special about certain dogs, though. Shiner had that something special, and Dakota seems to as well.
Yeesh, what a long post! But yes, that was my special girl. I'm so glad I had her in my life as long as I did. I'll always love her.
(she was 12 in this picture. She aged so gracefully, getting just the tiniest flecks of grey on her chin in her last year or two.)