I have two dogs: a siberian husky and a border collie. Both of these breeds are known for their very high energy and neurosis. Especially the border collie. And, both of my dogs are completely neurotic, to put it gently.
My border collie spends the majority of his time on patrol in the back yard. If he's not running up and down barking at the people who are passing by, he's sitting alert on the patio waiting patiently for someone to come by. He is also completely and totally obsessed with balls. When anyone new comes over, he spends the majority of his time dropping a ball repeatedly at their feet in the hopes that they just might get the message and throw it to him. The only problem is that when it comes to a ball, he feels no pain. Therefore, 9 times out of 10 he's bleeding from the paws OR panting/coughing/near death before the person who is playing with him realizes they should make him take a break from his incredibly amazing ball chasing skills (this dog is FAST). He's also incredibly intelligent. Because he knows that I will not spend 24 hours a day throwing a ball to him, he has devised his own form of entertainment. He will drop the ball into the pool and then begin the task of bringing the ball back over to the side so he can pull it out. Anyone who has ever seen this has commented on how intelligent he is, because he actually uses his paws to pull the water toward him and therefore pull the ball closer. Ingenius, I tell you.
My siberian husky is absolutely the most sensitive dog you will ever meet. He is deathly afraid to go on walks (this problem used to be much worse but from some work with him has thankfully gotten better), he runs in fear at the sound of bikes and skateboards. He gets nervous when new people stay at our house for too long and this usually culminates in him having an accident on the floor when we leave him alone for an afternoon (despite the fact that he has been perfectly potty trained for the past 3 years!). Also, as far as I can tell, he does not eat when he's at the kennel.. which makes it just that much harder for me to ever leave him.
After reading all of these things about my CRAZY dogs, I'm sure you're wondering, "Sarah, why in the world do you put up with all of this?!" The answer is very simple. I put up with all of this because my dogs add more JOY to my life than they add annoyance.
For example, if I didn't have these dogs during Hubby's deployments, I am certain that life alone would be a much different story for me.
My dogs are amazing. First of all, every morning when I wake up, I spend a couple of minutes laying with my dogs. They are absolutely still and silent throughout the night, but as soon as they realize that I am awake they both converge upon me in the bed. Ramsey, my border collie, lays next to me and puts his head on my chest. Copper, the husky, lays above my head on my pillow. And, they lay there with me for a few minutes. It's the greatest way to wake up EVER. Because of them, I always wake up in a good mood. When I come home, they give me the greeting of a queen. After greeting me, Ramsey goes out into the yard for his patrol duty and Copper remains with me. He is the very best cuddler in all of the world. He's a big gigantic fluffball and he is my comforter. Any time when I am sad or angry or lonely, he knows it.. and he lays with me until I feel better again.
When it's time for bed (they usually know it before me) they begin the night both on the bed with me. Ramsey lays next to me (where Hubby would normally be) -- and he lays so that he is just barely touching my back, which is a great comfort. Copper lays at my feet, same thing, he lays so that he is just barely touching me. Last night there was some noise going on outside in my (normally) very quiet neighborhood. So, they were both in their normal positions but they were both laying with their heads up, very alert. I felt so comforted knowing that they were laying around me like a shield, and knowing that they would let me know if the noises were anything to worry about. But, alas, they were not.
So, they finally let their guard down by laying their heads down, letting out deep contented sighs, and falling asleep for the night.
I am so thankful for my dogs.
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