On a Boy and His Pups

Our household is full of dog hair, and while we get annoyed with it, I'm so glad it's there. The house I grew up in sits on a cul-de-sac and almost every house has a dog. Without fail these dogs would generally end up in our back yard where my dad worked on projects. One neighbor swore that my dad lined his pockets with bacon grease. (Which is even funnier because we are Jewish.) Dogs were always around, and when a little black pup was found in our neighborhood she immediately became ours. Eventually, she stuck to my dad like glue, and when he died she started on a downward incline which ended recently with us having to put her down. While I'm heartbroken, what amazes me is that while Shanna was the leader of the neighborhood pack, a real boss bitch, with a high and mighty attitude, even she grew to tolerate and love R. Regularly he asked me to Facetime her at night and he would scream "Nene" looking for her whenever he saw my mom.

In our house our two dogs, Zora and Reggie, bring so much joy to R too. He often calls them to his room when he wakes up in the morning. When he watches t.v. he is often perched up on the couch in the small of Reggie's back. He loves giving them treats, petting them, and giving them hugs every morning. 

These dogs have taught him so much! He has learned the word gentle and how to use a gentle touch. He has learned to throw a ball. An ongoing battle, but he is learning patience when he tells Reggie to drop the ball and then has to wait. He learns responsibility when he brushes or feeds Zora. If you know me, you know how obsessed with dogs I am, and I truly believe that they are the best and most selfless creatures on this Earth, but now I'm even more amazed at all the things they can teach us. Shanna taught me undeniable loyalty and strength until the very end.

He is still looking for "Nene", which is heartbreaking for us. And while we will forever miss her, my mom does plan on getting another dog. The heartache is terrible when they go, but the lessons they teach us and the love they give us is so worth any price we have to pay.