Dogs are funny creatures. We've had a multitude of mutts through the years and no two were the same. They all found a way into our hearts.
Ol' Hook joined me this morning when I got up to brew the coffee. I'm not sure what it is about the fireplace that he loves but every time we turn it on, he stands close enough that I'm afraid his whiskers will burn.
Hood reminds me of Ol' Red. We had Red about eight years ago. He was one that when he got too sick to care for someone brought him down our dead-end road and dumped him out to die. But he didn't die.
He lived on the fringe. He came into our yard after our dogs had eaten and looked for any scrap of food they may have left.
Jilda saw him at first. We already had too many dogs. When she fed our dogs, she would step to the edge of the yard and dump out a few cups of food in an old hubcap. The dog would wait until she went inside and the shyly come up and eat.
Our neighbor had a German Shepard that was a bully. He would come into our yard, pee on all our trees, chase our smaller, weaker dogs and strut.
One day, Jilda and I were sitting on the back deck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shepherd coming from next door. Our dogs were on the defensive. When the bully got to the edge of the yard and was about to harass one of our critters, I saw Ol' Red come from out of the edge of the woods and hit the shepherd like a professional linebacker.
Within a few seconds, the old Red dog had the bully on his back. I was afraid I'd have to call our neighbor with bad news but somehow the shepherd managed to squirm out from under Ol' Red and hightail it back toward his house. We never had another problem with that dog.
With that one act, Ol' Red enjoyed the last few years of his life.
Ol' Hook joined me this morning when I got up to brew the coffee. I'm not sure what it is about the fireplace that he loves but every time we turn it on, he stands close enough that I'm afraid his whiskers will burn.
Hood reminds me of Ol' Red. We had Red about eight years ago. He was one that when he got too sick to care for someone brought him down our dead-end road and dumped him out to die. But he didn't die.
He lived on the fringe. He came into our yard after our dogs had eaten and looked for any scrap of food they may have left.
Jilda saw him at first. We already had too many dogs. When she fed our dogs, she would step to the edge of the yard and dump out a few cups of food in an old hubcap. The dog would wait until she went inside and the shyly come up and eat.
Our neighbor had a German Shepard that was a bully. He would come into our yard, pee on all our trees, chase our smaller, weaker dogs and strut.
One day, Jilda and I were sitting on the back deck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shepherd coming from next door. Our dogs were on the defensive. When the bully got to the edge of the yard and was about to harass one of our critters, I saw Ol' Red come from out of the edge of the woods and hit the shepherd like a professional linebacker.
Within a few seconds, the old Red dog had the bully on his back. I was afraid I'd have to call our neighbor with bad news but somehow the shepherd managed to squirm out from under Ol' Red and hightail it back toward his house. We never had another problem with that dog.
With that one act, Ol' Red enjoyed the last few years of his life.
Dogs are great, and they pay back kindness ten fold.
ReplyDeleteNow dude that is a REAL STORY. I love it when my eyes sorta 'wet' up. Now I love ol' Red although he be gone!
ReplyDeleteSherry & jack
I'm sure Ol'Hook enjoys to look at the fire like all of us. He knows that from fire come heat and light. Fire is quite an amazing thing when you think of it.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Julia
Heartwarming!!!
ReplyDeleteEach and every dog I've ever owned has a special place in my heart, and each one had their own funny quirks. Love the story about Ol'Red.
ReplyDeleteI am in love with Ol' Red.
ReplyDelete