My Kids

So I talked about my inability to have children and how I don’t cope well with other people’s kids but I didn’t actually discuss my real kids. I have 2.

Milo is about 15 years old and I have had him about 13 of those 15. He is the absolute love of my life. I went to PetsMart in 1997 with my sister-in-law to get something for their dog and the Wayside Waifs was having an adoption fair that day. Now, I had no animals or a desire to have one. I lived in Missouri and with a girl that I barely knew. And we had a no pet policy. So I was just going to love on some dogs and go home. And I really did not have any intention of getting a dog. But I was sitting in the middle of this group of dogs that were all trying to get some attention. I loved on as many of them as I could. Then this little stick of a dog pushed his way between a couple of the dogs and put his head in my lap and then kind of curled up in my lap. It was true love. Absolutely true love. I immediately started the adoption process and he came home with me that day. He was about a year or 2 old. He was rail thin and very light brown. I honestly had never loved anything like the way I love my Milo. He went through a rough patch with me. He was the rock I needed to get through that dark time in my life. I was saved by that dog so many times that there is little chance I will ever be able to express to him how much I absolutely adore him.



And now he’s getting old. 15 years old is pretty good for a dog. He’s never acted his age. He loves to play with Sammie and he is just so excited to see me that I get so much joy from him. But he’s pretty much deaf. I think he’s starting to lose his sight. Our walks need to be during daylight now because he gets hesitant when we’re in the dark. He’s walked into a couple of walls in the apartment when the lights are off. The deaf thing is kind of funny but not really. I have had to literally pick him up while he was sleeping because I could not get him to wake up by calling his name. It’s pretty funny to hear him snoring away and I’m poking him and saying his name, over and over again. He is then surprised and takes a bit to get orientated.

Then there is my Sissy girl. Her name is Sammie but I have always called her Sissy. She is 12 years old and is a handful. My ex and I adopted her when she was around 3 months old and have kind of wondered how we got such a weird dog when we pretty much had her from birth. She whines…all the time. I believe she doesn’t even know she’s doing it. It’s not like she’s in pain (at least I don’t think so) or needs to go outside. She whines because she’s bored and wants attention. She’ll be standing in front of the food dish and staring at it and start whining. It’s just like breathing to her I think.

But one great thing about Sissy is that she talks. When I get home and let them out, she will talk to me for the first few minutes of being home. She’ll crow like a rooster. She’ll grumble in her throat. She will practically purr when you pet her. She is so vocal. And she’s taught Milo how to do it too. He’ll try to make noises too. Not as good at it as Sissy but he still tries. And she is a belly slut. She will plop down right in front of you and offer her belly up at the drop of a hat. She loves people and will get in their face. Literally. She has no concept of personal space and will make sure you get a chance to pay attention to her. And she’ll use that against me because I tell her to go sit down when I have company and gets this sad look on her face and the person who is over will say it’s OK, they would love to pet her more. She’s manipulative that way…maybe she learned that from me.

I will always have dogs but I’d really like to always have these dogs. But I’m realistic and know that I’ll lose them eventually. I’m preparing myself for Milo. That one is going to hurt a lot. Not that Sissy won’t but Milo and I have been through so much that I bonded with him more than Sissy. But I am preparing myself. Both of my kids are extremely healthy. Milo had to have some teeth removed once and Sissy had a virus about a year ago but neither have had anything else wrong with them (knock on wood). They get their yearly shots and then that's it. We walk a couple of miles a day to keep them in shape, which is why I think I have dogs that don't act their age.

But I'm probably abusive in some ways. They do not get human food; it is human food, not dog food. They do not bark, jump up on people, get aggressive with other dogs (or each other), they do not get on the furniture and they are responsible for letting me know when they need to go outside. They are not to get in other people's face, although Sammie does not follow that edict. I don't take them for rides in the car regularly. With a new car, I have been reluctant to take them anywhere but I have taken them twice for rides. They very rarely get treats. Not because they don't deserve them but typically dog treats are so full of crap that it messes with their digestive systems. And they get the same food, regardless of what's on sale. I have had to change recently because Pedigree discontinued the food I had been feeding them for the last couple of years. So I have a new food and that has taken them a little time to adjust to. None of this is because they don't deserve to have or do these things but it's because I need to be consistent with what I do with them. Dogs are creatures of habit and I make sure that that habit is appropriate.


But with all that structure and consistent actions, my dogs are spoiled rotten. I absolutely adore my dogs and I cannot imagine my life with any other dogs. There is no way that my dogs are unhappy because they will run laps in the house, throw stuffed animals up into the air and try to catch them and roll around on their back making god awful noises but that is pure joy...how can you be sad when you see your dog rolling around, just because he's happy to be alive.  I want that...I'm sure you've all heard it but I love the saying "greet everyone like the way your dog greets you"...I know I would walk around ecstatic and loving, wanting only to be given a little bit of attention and then sleep for the next 4 hours.