Puppies

I know I haven't written in a while.... lacking motivation, mixed with Christmas chaos, and an eye infection just haven't added up to blogging. But I figured tonight is the lag night between work, working out, and the beginning of a whirl wind trip home for the holidays! I'm excited to be headed home to Elk Grove for Christmas, its my mom's favorite holiday and I'm looking forward to some quality time with the family.

I told my mom last week that I wanted there to be a puppy at her house when I got there. I've been missin my pup Riley a lot. He used to live with me, then I moved to a house that didn't allow dogs and my parents adopted him for me! He was about 3 years old when we put him down this past summer. Poor little guy had either a brain tumor or neurological disease. Either way he had a stroke and wasn't going to recover. Even though I only got to see him when I came home to visit family, he was a great companion! He could hear my truck before I pulled into our neighborhood, and wouldn't let me out of his site the entire time I was home. When I started packing my bags to leave, he'd conveniently unpack them for me. As I tried to leave the house he would wrap his paws around me and try to keep me from leaving. I always though I'd move into a new house soon and he'd be able to come live with me again. I miss that little guy.

Dogs have an uncanny ability to listen without judgement they just cuddle, and dry your tears, and nuzzle against you as you pour your heart out. I worked out some of my most difficult times with Riley simply b/c there were things I needed to get off my chest and just say out loud and I just needed to cry. Its no fun to cry painful tears for any reason, but its worse to cry them alone, or feel like you're being judged as you cry around friends or family(I guess I just don't like crying in front of people period) Puppies have the ability to listen and not say a word, and it is one of their best traits.

Although I'm not sure all dogs are this nurturing... I'm pretty sure Charlie's dog Robbie is WAY too hyperactive to be a very good listener. He tries so hard to manage his ADD and his obedience its comical. When Charlie gets him out on the OB course he's soooo excited he's jumping for joy he just wants to run and jump and tunnel and run some more! But if you try and get him to stop in the middle of an A-frame and sit on each step, or lay down at the top, he is on edge, he wants to obey the command and  at the same time his mind is already down the other side of the ramp and over the next jump and you can see that anticipation in him its sooo funny! But that kind of dog is perfect for Charlie, he likes dogs that serve a purpose, they perform a specific task, specifically hunting dogs in is home life, and working military dogs in his professional life. The idea of a dog that cuddles and is a companion is a little beyond what Charlie wants in a dog. I'm not saying I would like my next dog to be little fluffy tea cup chihuahua or anything, I mean Riley was a 65 lb border collie/pit bull/McNabb mix. Maybe a good mix of mine and Charlie's ideal dog would be a cattle dog, they are working dogs, and at the same time, they are extremely loyal and great companions! I predict a very long debate prior to Charlie and I actually deciding on a breed! All I know is I could sure use a puppy around these days....