Thursday, June 10, 2010
For Love of Dogs
My finance, Justin, and I went camping this past weekend. We went to The Land Between the Lakes a gigantic park located in Southwestern Kentucky that dips its tail down into Tennessee. It was as relaxing as any weekend vacation could be. We swam, hiked, lounged, and ate exceptionally good food for being cooked outside. As I sat one morning drinking my camp coffee and reading my book, I could look to my right and only see the beautiful lake and surrounding forest. To my left - lake and forest. And then at my feet were our three dogs.
Our three-dog, mismatched collection. Our motley crew of dogs. All three of which found us. We didn't find them. Not one of our dogs was planned. We didn't seek-out dog ownership like most people do. Like our friends who spent weeks scouring shelters or studying breeds or chose to go through the process of adopting retired greyhounds. Not us. No, all of our dogs found us.
Our oldest one adopted me back in 2001 when I was with my first serious boyfriend. A friend called to tell us that a puppy had wondered on to her mom's property and she thought the dog might be part coyote. My ex-boyfriend, being a big fan of wolves, jumped at the idea of owning a dog that was part coyote. Me, being a big fan of responsibility, immediately began lecturing him about how we couldn't afford a dog and how I wasn't going to be the one to take care of it. And then, of course, I met her. Anna. I knew her name intuitively. And there was further no hesitation of the fact that she was part coyote. Anna burrows dens, howls at sirens like no other kind of dog, and is able to catch flies with uncanny accuracy. I've done a lot of research on coyotes since I met Anna and I must admit that at times I have been afraid that she may be the real deal. That she is in no way diluted with dog blood but is in fact full coyote. When I catch myself worrying about this frightening possibility all I have to do is look over at Anna, who is often by my side, see her squared dog snout and remind myself that no matter what she is my dog soul-mate.
For how much I am Anna's person, Justin is tens times that for Bojangles. I often say that they should wear broken heart "Best Friend" necklaces and that Bojangles should have an "I LOVE Justin" t-shirt. Justin met Bojangles while a friend had possession of the dog during a post-abusive transitional phase. Justin had stopped by for a visit and on his way home decided that he had to have Bojangles. He got home, called his friend, and directly went back to retrieve his new friend. They were immediately inseparable. If Bojangles had his druthers he would cuddled on top of Justin 20 hours out of every day. Bojangles is also the leader of the pack. Because he is an Australian Shepherd he feels the need to keep everyone in line including the two other dogs, house visitors, and sometimes even us. He often wanders around with a melancholy look on his face unless you mention the word "W-A-L-K", throw a ball, or if Justin comes home. The latter often being the highlight of his day and the moment in which I realize that Bojangles was just biding his time with my company.
Every crew has to have its wise guy. Its scrappy little loud mouth. Its Joe Pesci of the group. And ours' is no different. Sprite is part Jack Russel part asshole. She is a small cuddly dog that has a mouth that could probably eat your face. She is your cliche 12lb. dog that thinks she 50ft. tall. Sprite was found alone one winter night in a park. A park that Justin and his then-finance were checking out to see if they wanted to have their then-future wedding. They didn't chose that park for their wedding location but they did keep Sprite. I give Sprite a hard time but she's sweet and goofy and her main goal in life is to stay warm. Kind of like me. Kind of exactly like me. Sprite spent a brief stint with Justin's now ex-wife but found her way back to Justin and Bojangles.
These dogs have melded together to become our family. They are the embodied hodgepodge of both of our pasts and our lives before Justin and I were "us". They represent ex's, old experiences, and times in which it was only us and them and no one else. These dogs are relics of our past lives. But they have adapted. Endured. Left us and come back. And now as Justin and I plan our future together I know that the truth is that life won't always be this easy. There will be times harder than we can even yet imagine. But we can stand strong. If we get lost along the way we'll find our way back together. And this is what these dogs have taught me. That love can be solid, unwavering, and sincere. That love can exist without bias. That it can be forgiving. And that it can last a lifetime.
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