DOXIE TAILS - 2

THING ONE

I will be honest, I am high-maintenance. I love to have my hair done; love manicures and pedicures! I don’t like dirt or to get dirty! I have satellite tv, and even though I can only watch one channel at a time, I pay for over 900! I am a military brat, born in Japan, but raised in Texas. I sometimes think I’m a country girl living in a city girl’s body because there are times when I long to just sit in my rocking chair on my front porch and watch the world go by. I’ve never had a dog, always had cats. I have a wonderful life and I’m blessed in so many ways.
Rewind to 2006. I loose my best friend, my mother, on my birthday. I go through a very ugly divorce. Things aren’t looking too good and I’m exhibiting the signs of Depression 101. My saving grace is my son, who helps me pick myself back up. I also have an amazing boyfriend who is a true God-send. The polar opposite of myself, he was born and raised on a farm, had many cats and dogs, and even raised Great Danes! EEWW, dirty big dogs? My motto: Cats rule, dogs drool. He allows me to get 2 cats, littermates/sisters, and they are my little lovely girls. However, I can see his longing for a dog. Every time we go out to his parent’s farm, he sees his Great Dane and I can tell he misses having a dog around the house. I secretly start to look for one for him.
Keep in mind, I know absolutely NOTHING about dogs at this point. I am in uncharted territory here! I see an article in the paper that someone has Miniature Dachshunds for sale. I call the people because they live right across the street from the place where I work a part time job. They say that they have 4 of them, 1 being already spoken for, but 3 available to look at. I tell them I’ll get back with them. I go online to the local animal shelter website, and there is a Great Dane/Boxer mix puppy. I call my boyfriend and tell him about it, and he immediately goes there to see this puppy. He can tell she will be a good little girl, but that she won’t be little for long! Our house is not big at all (hence the reason his Great Dane lives out at the farm), and he was a little concerned about not giving her enough space to run and play. (A good note: there was a couple at the shelter wanting to look at this puppy, too, and ended up adopting her right after us!) It’s cold and raining outside, my boyfriend is clearly upset, so I tell him about the Mini-Doxies. He has never had a "small dog", but he really wanted a dog, so he entertained the idea of going to look at them. I call the people and make the appointment. THIS IS WHERE MY LIFE IS CHANGED FOREVER!
I mentioned earlier that I have never had a dog. I am now 43 years old (39 at the time this is occurring), and having cats was plenty for me. He was constantly telling me that there is nothing like the love of a dog. I didn’t listen because I was completely content with my cats. But, he longed for the companionship of a dog, so we go and look at the puppies. We walk into this tiny apartment, and the lady brings out a tupperware storage tub. I look down in the tub, and my heart races. There are these 4 little black things yipping and wiggling around. OH MY GOD, with the exception of my son as a baby, these could be THE cutest things I’ve ever seen in my life! The lady puts them all on the floor, we sit down, and my boyfriend tells me to just sit there and let "the one" come to me. Here comes this adorable little black and tan thing, sniffs my legs, then crawls into my lap and plops down. I am now in tears as I’ve just been "claimed" by the love of my life. I pick him up, and smell the most hauntingly beautiful smell I’ve ever smelled. My boyfriend says, "Honey, that’s puppy breath." I can’t put him down. I feel this rush of calmness come over me, like this little thing knew that I needed him to give me peace and happiness; to change my life forever.
I will be honest, I am high-maintenance. I love to have my hair done; love manicures and pedicures. HOWEVER, since my dog has come into my life, things like that aren’t as important as they once were. Oh, I’m still high-maintenance; but if I miss an appointment, it’s not a problem. There will always be another one. I am a much better person now because of my dog. He has taught me compassion, patience, humility. Most of all, unconditional love. I truly believe that this was my Mother’s way of saying that it was ok that she was gone. I can live a happy life and know what true love really is. My dog has taught me true happiness, and I can’t say it enough: I’m a better person because of my dog. And we will call Thing One: Thurman. My sweet baby Thurmie.
Devri