Let me begin with Lois, as she is our first born. H did not want a dog because we were just renters at the time and he didn't want to be responsible for whatever damage a puppy will inevitably cause. Well...you see, there was this pet store around the corner from us and every Thursday was Adopt-A-Mutt night. I would casually stop by every once in a while just to "look around" (or at least that's what I told H). People would bring boxes of puppies and kittens they didn't want and some poor fool like myself would be suckered into taking one home. Puppies are my kryptonite, what can I say? One random Thursday, this little gal stared up at me from a cardboard box and the rest was history. She was SO cute and SO little and SO adorable that my heart melted into a puddle of mush. For $5 I got the best little furbaby in the world AND a ten-pund bag of Puppy Chow. Winning!
When I brought her home, I surprised H with my new find. He was ticked off to begin with, then she be-bopped over to him on her 1/2 inch-long legs, licked him in the face, and he was a goner, too! He still jokes about me, Lois, and the "5 o'clock Free Pet Giveaway"!
Lots of people giggle when I tell them her name, and we have my hubby to thank for that. He said since I picked out the dog against his wishes the least I could do was let him name her. And now we have a dog named Lois. True story.
Lois is the best dog in the world. She is probably too smart for her own good, really. She doesn't do tricks, although trust me-she knows what you are asking her to do. She just thinks she is above entertaining humans at their will. She REFUSES to wear a collar and only tolerates one for walks around the neighborhood. She immediately needs it to be taken off or she will go into a coma-like state for hours. It's hilarious. She doesn't really think she is a dog, because the common dog rules do not apply to her. But, if she was a dog, she would think she is a lab because the only other dogs she has ever been around are Labs. She plays fetch, swims like a fish, and loves to ride the boat. She likes long walks on the beach, eggs with cheese, and bossing the other dogs around. Trust me when I tell you that Lois rules the roost; this is her world and we are all just living in it. Her favorite place is Dauphin Island, and I swear you can see her smile when she is basking in the sunshine on a sandy stretch of beach.
Charlie is our Chocolate Lab. We call him Charlie, Chuck, and Brown Dog. He will answer to all three. Or none, depending on his mood. Everyone I know who owns a Chocolate Lab says they are weird, and Chuck is no exception. He is very shy until he gets to know you, and then he loves you forever. We got him from some friends whose dog got knocked up, so we know he has never been abused, but you would think we beat this dog within an inch of his life the way he acts sometimes. (And that couldn't be further from the truth-I don't think either of our dogs has ever been hit!) Chuck LOVES to swim. He would have been a fantastic bird dog if either of us cared about hunting at all. H grew up on the water, not in the woods, so it is only fitting his dog should follow suit. Charlie's passion in life is to swim, play fetch, chase birds, and torment Lois-preferably all at the same time.
I am a big animal rights supporter. I'm not a crazy PETA person, but I think even the animals we eat or wear deserve to be treated humanely and with respect. We should try to limit their suffering as much as possible. I fully believe that God gave us animals to teach us so many lessons in life. I heard a quote once that said something along the lines of "The true character of a person is evident in the way they treat their animals" and I totally agree. Please, please, please...if you are in the market for a new dog (or cat for that matter!), check out your local shelter or humane society. I promise you a mutt will love you just as much if not more than a pedigreed dog, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing you saved a life. Plus, mutts have fewer health problems because they do not carry breed-specific hereditary traits like full-blooded dogs.
And I am now going to step off that soapbox and put it away.
I hope you enjoyed meeting my sweet pupper dogs! We think they are pretty darn great, and I hope they have inspired you to adopt a pet if you're in the market for one.
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