The dogs that shared my childhood days

Dogs have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents and my grandparents always had dogs, and they lived with us. They were a part of the family. They stayed in the house with us, they slept in the bed with us, they played in the yard with us, they laid on the couch with us, they went on trips with us, they were our beloved companions.

I especially loved them; I think more than my brothers did most of the time. They held some kind of power in my eyes. They gave me a feeling of comfort. Their consistent, unwavering loyalty and love was always available, no matter the circumstances. It’s an innate characteristic that dogs process, without trying, they just do it. Wouldn’t it be a better world if we gave one another the same love our dogs give to us?

We had all types of dogs. Dobermans, a beagle, a golden retriever, a rhodesian ridgeback, and many various “mutts”. All good dogs. So many fond memories of them all. I find myself smiling just reminiscing about them all. Thinking back, I’m not sure where most of them came from, one day they were just there. I suspect my parents had the same heart as me when it came to dogs, and if one needed a loving home, well, we could give them that.

We were taught to respect them, not to hit them or abuse them in any way. They were precious to us, and they deserved love and proper care. I learned from my grandparent’s what unconditional love meant, and they abundantly gave us, and their dogs so much love. Our family was blessed to have my grandparents, they were the rock to our world. Learning from them, they molded me. They helped me become a compassionate person. To other people, and to animals, especially dogs.

I learned many lessons from our dogs too. One in particular, that even today, many years later, I recall very well. I was 8 at the time. We had a doberman, Rebel was his name. He was so handsome, and he loved us kids. He watched over us. He was our protector. If we were outside, so was he. If we were in the house, yep, so was he. Anyway, I was walking down the steps to the basement one night, its where our family room was, and we spent a lot of time there. Rebel was laying at the bottom of the steps sleeping. Admittedly, I’ve always been a little clumsy, and I fell about halfway down the steps and landed on Rebel. He jumped to his feet and turned barking and growling at me. It scared me. I would have never done that to him on purpose, it was an accident, but his reaction scared me. After my dad picked me up off the floor and I settled in on the couch, Rebel calmly and gently came over to me. He laid his head on my lap and looked into my eyes. He was telling me he was sorry. I just startled him out of his sleep, and he didn’t mean to scare me like he did. I understood what he was doing, and I have never forgotten his kindness to me, his understanding of the situation, he knew I didn’t do it on purpose, and he gave me an apology. I told him I was sorry too and hugged his big neck. He loved me, and I loved him. He showed me empathy. A dog, teaching me empathy. I will never forget that. One lesson, but not the only time I’ve been educated by one of our dogs.

As I got older, I realized not every household was like ours. It made me sad when I was at a friend’s house and their dog was outside, alone, not enjoying the companionship of its people. It became apparent to me that not all families were as fortunate as mine. They didn’t know what it meant to love a dog. They didn’t know what it meant to be loved by a dog. How sad. It broke my heart.

My first dog, the one I bought, I cared for, the one that was “my” dog, well she was a jack russell terrior names Jesse, and wow was she a special one. She lived to be 13 years old, and she sure holds a special place in my heart. She was the dog that went through my late teen and early adult life with me. She was my best friend, and I miss that little dog to this day! This was the dog that helped me truly understand what kind of commitment it took to have a dog. It was my responsibility to pay for her, and in the thirteen wonderful years she was with me, I learned that dogs are expensive! But worth every penny.

I was a lucky child, blessed with wonderful parents, wonderful grandparents, the best brothers, and dogs, lots of dogs. I’m grateful.

So that is just a snippet of how my love for dogs started. There are so many stories, so many details! I could go one for days! One thing is for sure though, the stories have continued, and the number of dogs that I have (and will) share my life with has grown! I will tell more stories later, but I also want to share with you other details of being a dog owner. I want to help you navigate things like veterinary cost, training techniques, quality food, proper care, puppy rearing, quality pet supplies, unexpected dangers, and many other things I have learned over the years as a dog owner, and in my more recent years, a breeder of Llewellin Setters. (There is a special story behind these amazing setters, someday I’ll tell you about it.) My hope is that by sharing my experiences, I can help other dog owners and dog lovers better care and love their dogs!

God bless, Lady Llewellin