Ode to Dogs

This is my attempt at a beginning of a personal history.  I am writing about my dogs.

I have a dog.

Do you have a dog?

My dog's name is Hoppy, after Hop-a-Long Cassidy.

He was a cockapoo before it became a name.  Hoppy was born into our family and

became my dog, my friend.  He was a sweet animal, always asleep under the piano on the pedals.  We couldn't afford grooming him so Mom was always cutting the matts off of him.

Hoppy is buried in the back yard of the old Holladay home.

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

Champ followed Richard home one day.  Richard always had some animal following him home.  Champ was a mixed collie with black and white markings.  His eyes were also mixed--one blue and one white, he also had a scabby nose.  We still loved this dog.  He would go with Richard on his early morning paper routes.  He died of old age and is buried in the back yard of the old Holladay home.

I have another dog. 

Do you have a dog?

Laddie was brought home for Mom on Mother's Day (I think).  Mary, Peggy and David found this English Sheep dog at the pound and thought that Mom would be overjoyed with his presence in our home.  Think again kids.  Laddie was a great dog as far as big dogs go but he was hard to groom and eventually sent to a ranch in Colorado.

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

After we were married Lee and I adopted Pupper.  He was a little mixed terrier that we loved deeply.  He had a heart of gold and a grin on his face that would light up when we came home from work.  He would dance around on two feet waiting for our attention.  But Pupper had one big fault that cost him his life.  He would escape out the front door to chase after cars.  Bobby Boogart his him with her huge car.  We buried Pupper in the back yard of the old Holladay home.  

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

Scooter was also adopted from the pound.  He was a small dog that the kids loved to tease and play with.  He was often found in Jane's baby carrier asleep.  Unfortunately, he had the same fault as Pupper though and this time it was Lee who ran over him.  Scooter is buried in the back yard of the the old Holladay home.

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

Windy was a little, bitty poodle that was so sweet.  She slept with us, drove places with the kids  in the back seat, and just spread her joy all around.  Tuffy, the Fassler's large poodle, thought she was pretty special, too.  He got her in the family way.   When it was time to deliver we had to take her to the vet where she had a C-section and was spayed.  She gave birth to a small pup like her and a large pup like Tuffy.  The small dog was easy to place in a home but Beauty, (that's what we named this little mutt) would be placed and returned.  This happened a couple of times.  She was a barker and a chaser.  The neighbor complained but she continued.  We put up witht hem for a couple of years until Sandie was dealing with her asthma constantly.  We felt we needed to rid our home of all animals.  So Windy and Beauty ended up at the Humane Society.

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

Sandie ended up dating a young man in highschool who had dogs and birds and who knows what else.  I decided that we had gone long enough without a pet dog.  In  1991, Lee and I went to the human society on a whim and came home with the most precious dog ever.  He chose us.  This was Streeter, a Italian greyhound.  This is the miniature breed.  Streeter was a couch potato of the first kind.  He couldn't stand the cold weather or house or car or anything.  When the towels came out of the dryer, he would dig his way under and stay.  When I was sitting down, I always had to have a blanket with me so he could get warm.  Uncle Steve called him a "dog in a cat suit".  Streeter was Momma's dog.  We cried and cried when we took him to the vet to be put to sleep.  Streeter is in doggie heaven, not in the back yard.

I have another dog.

Do you have a dog?

Lady was just that--a lady.  We answered an ad in the paper.  I took Streeter and the kids that were home to see if they were compatible withthis dog.  She was a corgi, beagle mix.  Streeter needed a companion and Dallin needed a dog so he would quit teasing mine.  Lady chased Streeter and Streeter teased Lady endlessly until they both became too old to bother.  Lady slowed down after Streeter died and she became lonely.  She slipped away from us a year later on Father's Day 2005 at the age of 13.  Lady is buried in the back yard of our Sandy home.

I have another dog.

"You've got to be kidding"!!!

Do you have a dog?

There wasn't supposed to be any more dogs but one of my students parents came to school with the 3 cutest puppies.  The apricot pup had not been sold so I made an offer and then had to figure out a way to tell Lee.  He wasn't happy about it but he gave in.  I wish he wouldn't do that.  Our FINAL dog is Button and with a name like that you can guess what his short name is.  He barks, he pees, he jumps on company and he doesn't cuddle.  Anyone want a cute, noisy peer.  Oh, well, we raised 4 kids, we can raise another dog!