I was thinking about my first dog, Gina, A black lab from GEB, I got her in the summer of 1998, almost 10 years ago. I was such a different person then, I guess 10 years makes quite a difference in someone's life. I was so shy; I tried so hard to fit in! I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and no real desire to do anything much with it. I went to college for something to do. So I could tell my parents and other people, "Look, I'm doing something with my life, but really I was just passing the time.
What, exactly is the point to all this pointless repining? you might be wondering?
Well, I'll tell you!
Having a dog in my life helped to give it structure, helped to give it balance! I so needed to be needed, and needed to be loved unconditionally, I didn't know it then, but even way back, 10 years ago, I was looking for God!! I didn't find him until 9 years later, but I found comfort in caring for my dog. She was such a friend as I never really had, always there to cry on, always there to hug when I needed it. I could be an ass, make the stupidest mistake, yell at her, and she'd still lick my face and reassure me that it was ok and always going to be ok! I was so close to that dog, she was my other half, my better half! She was a great guide, so precise, so spirited! I had her from July 98 to January 2001
Wayway too short! She died of a massive tumor that ate her chest cavity alive. We had it operated on, but the vicious thing came back only a month after. After her operation I decided to retire her. I retired her with my parents in mid January, and left to get chief in early February. While I was away, Gina lost all control of bladder and bowels; she couldn’t eat, and was just plain miserable!
My Parents made the decision to have her put to sleep. I felt awful! I had left her behind, just gone on and gotten another dog. I couldn’t even think, I was so full of shame, blaming my self for needing another dog, I felt like the lowest retch in the whole world!
I cried, I tried to console my self that she was in no more pain, but I still felt like a trader. Here I was getting another dog, and I had left my faithful friend to die alone!
Oh the remorse I fed myself was like poison. Meanwhile, I had this young dog to deal with. He was a handful, and so aloof. Gina had been a cuddler, a real love bug!
Meanwhile, I had this stupid new dog that needed so much of my time and energy and he didn’t love me, I was so sure of that.
He was a good worker though, so I convinced my self that I just needed a worker dog, I didn’t have to love him. You See, if I started to love him, I would become more of a trader. How could I love another dog? This one didn’t even give me a chance, The first time I tried to cuddle with hhim, he sprung up and moved to the far far end of his leash,as to say “what do you think you are doing, Get out of my personal space!!” I did end up finishing my training with Chief, and He has gone on to top the charts of my doggie experience. Never in all my life have I had a more confident dog, a stubborn one, but so confident, so full of his own sense of fun and adventure!
And you know what, Once in a while, he even lets me cuddle with him. On his terms of course, only when he feels like it, but he has certainly become more loving and I really love that guy! My time with Chief has been so full, Seven years, I can’t believe it. Such an adventure we’ve had. We’ve done some really stupid things together. Some really not so safe things, but it’s really been quite a ride!!!
I would trust this dog with my life, and have more times than I can count! I’ve crossed highways, flown to strange cities, walked down night shrouded streets in strange places, and been in some shady bus terminals all alone. But you know what, I wasn’t really alone, I had Chief by my side. I trained him to bark on command, and have used that when I felt vulnerable in strange circumstances. A big black dog, standing with a human with a laptop case is not an easy target for robbers and worse, but if that big black dog starts barking it makes the bad guys run even faster!
I’ve done so many things with this dog. I was just thinking, I’m in real trouble when I get my new dog. There Are routes that chief knows so well, that I sort of know. That I will some how have to train my new dog to do.
Chief seems like a miracle dog, He has had bumps, lumps, ear infections, and bladder infections, and self healed must of the time. I can remember when he had a strange lump on his tongue I had scheduled Sergery to remove it, and when I went to the vet for the preliminary visit, the vet told me “well, Chief doesn’t need surgery, he bit the lump off, and there are no traces of anything bad on his tongue anymore. This became his way, I’d think he had something wrong, take him to the vet, they’d say, he has this or that, and then we’d go back a week later, and what ever it was, was gone or didn’t need treatment.
Boy, I’ve really been rambling this morning, haven’t I!
Ok, Ok, that’s enough from me. More down memory lane later
