Our next dog was a Christmas gift. I admit to having mixed feelings when my squirmy puppy came in the door. On the one hand, she was a really cute Boxer- I adore Boxers- on the other hand, getting a new dog for Christmas is akin to getting a vacuum or duster or something that makes you think, "Here you go, now get to work!" Well, I determined to make it work this time. We had much better success with potty training Maddie, but she was decidedly . . . unruly. Maddie defied all Boxer norms, she barked and ran wild and was completely out of control. So out of control that I got her a shock collar and we kept the dial up at level 10 at all times. That worked pretty well until she realized if she ran far enough away from us, the shocker stopped. We even sent her off to doggy boot camp that was supposed to last 10 days {I'll just say it, it was worth the $400 just to have a 10 day vacation from her!! Am I mean to say that?} and the trainer called on Day 9 to say he would need at least another week.
Once we found out we were having our sweet baby #2, I knew that Maddie had to have a new home. I was already angry at her all the time, she couldn't do anything right, I couldn't turn her loose outside because the yard wasn't fenced and she couldn't be trusted not to bound off at the first squirrel, car or human that passed. Kind, kind friends took Maddie into their home. They had two boys and a young black lab and it was just what Maddie needed.
Again, I'll just say it, I never missed Maddie after she was gone. I was too busy too! Come on people, I'm not completely heartless, but having Jacob and another baby on the way plus a 70 pound thinks-she's-a-lap-dog-runs-away-all-the-time-doesn't-obey-wild hooligan was just too much.
It was a hard to decision to give her away. I was wracked with guilt for weeks and months. Tony went so far as to say that we would never again have a dog. Ok, thats extreme.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when our peaceful, dogless world was broken into. That will get you thinking and praying. If you follow my blog, then you know that I prayed for God to line our property with guardian angels, lined up shoulder to shoulder, the biggest and best that He had available. Then appears our guardian dog. Saturday I got up to run and this mean looking yellow dog was on my driveway. We took a few moments to look at each other, then I inched my way past him and hoped he wouldn't chase me down and rip my face off. He didn't. He was still there when I got back. He hung out all day. And spent Saturday night literally leaning up against the back door.
Sunday morning he was still there and went so far as to go on my run with me. He ran a little in front of me, looking back frequently to make sure I was still there. Sunday we decided we had to feed him, poor guy. Monday it was the same story and again this morning, still there waiting on me to come out. We've never before been chosen by a dog rather than the other way around! And we've never experienced the seeming determination this dog has to protect our home, it's almost uncanny his inexplicable attachment to our house and home when we don't even know each other!
Maybe it's coincidence, maybe this guy will dissapear in the morning, or maybe he is one of God's army of guardian angels, dressed in a fur coat and walking on all fours. Maybe he is an answer to my prayer. I don't know if dog's can pray, but maybe his doggy heart was praying too, for a home of his own. Maybe he has been searching for place to rest his tired body, maybe he's been searching for a welcoming face, maybe he's been searching for a safe haven too.
Whatever it is, we've decided he can stay here.
Our unconventional guardian angel.
Beware of {guardian angel}dog!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou know what dog spelled backward is, right?! ;)
ReplyDelete