DOGS MAKE ME....

 

DOGS MAKE ME A -----

 

Dogs make me a better person. I like people who like dogs as well as we do. I like people who don’t like them also, but maybe just not as much

My first dog was named Penny and she was a mutt. We lived in Odessa Texas, my dad was in the oil field and we left that little dog sitting at the corner as we drove to Houston for my dad’s new job. I can still see her sitting there wagging her tail in hopes I would be home soon. Not going to happen. I never had a dog growing up, but my dad did. He loved Boston Terriers. Meanest little things I ever saw. They were my dad’s dogs, not mine.

From the time I first got married, I have always had a dog. Most of them have been mutts. Just pure old mutts. Several were pure bred, but it seemed as if the mutts knew they had a better life than whatever they had before and were thankful that someone was taking care of them.

Dogs are great teachers. They teach you patience and unconditional love. They don’t care if you come home late because you did come home. They don’t care if you are just driving to the post office 3 blocks away because they can hang their head out the window and it’s an adventure.

Try getting a cat to do that.

Dogs are great therapists as well. They somehow know when you are sick and need comfort. We had a friend come and stay with us for a week or so after his wife died of cancer. Both of our dogs stayed with him the entire time he was here and never left him alone. They could sense that he was sad and grieving.

Our current furry friend is a 100% mutt, part schnauzer and part poodle. I think they call them a ‘Schnoodle”. He is 24 lbs. of love. He is zero trouble and 100% pure fun and family. On Sunday when we are getting ready for church, he knows he isn’t going, and he is perfectly happy and not upset. Now that we are retired, he is our newest child. He fits in and is no trouble for  us. Rescue dogs know they have been rescued. They are very appreciative of being a part of your family, and not living on the street. When he goes too the groomer and the house is empty without him, it is a different feeling than it is when he is here with us.

If you choose to get a dog, bear in mind that you should give some consideration to the type and the conditions in which they will live. Large dogs don’t do well in small apartments. Dogs need exercise so you must have time for them. Dogs cost money, so you must take care of them. They need shots and dental care and lots of other things as well.

Studies have shown that people with pets (dogs and cats) live longer than people without them. Prisons have adopted programs to give inmates a pet to take care of and it has reduced the violence in many instances.

I started off saying that dogs make me a better person. I truthfully believe they improve the quality of our lives. Try adopting one and see for yourself.

See you next week…..Peary Perry