I use the term “us” carefully. This dog blog was created based on all the pups I’ve loved and lost. It also includes the two dogs that I currently have, Cali and Willow.
I’ve had dogs since I was a kid. My first dog slept under my crib, and he grew up with me. I’ve always had a deep connection and empathy for all animals. I have had a large iguana, bunnies, dogs, fish, hamsters, cats, birds, and the like throughout my life.
Dogs are different. They’re intelligent, kind, and full of joy. They are loving and tend to naturally live in the moment. Dogs are full of a million little secrets. When they bond with you, you’ll never be the same again, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. They’re so incredibly special, and they make me feel special, and very loved.
Cali’s Story
Cali was only two months old when she ended up in a shelter as a puppy. She was fostered for a short time. Then, she was passed on to someone else. She had to leave when she was no longer allowed in the home she had been in. I learned that her new foster kept her in a kennel 8-10 hours a day during work hours. I was told she was also kept in a kennel at night. Therefore, there wasn’t much interaction or exploration. Her foster described her as “independent”, never barked, and liked to be on her own.
I saw her photo online. My husband and I immediately wanted to meet her. So, we met up at a local park. She was 6 months old by this time, and had never been on a leash or had any training. I sat in the grass to make myself available. She was instantly all over me, kissing and jumping on me. This cutie was just as happy as could be. My husband got a piece of this joy and love, too. It was an immediate connection.
She was, of course, terrified of the car. I put her on the floor of the passenger seat, between my legs. I tried to console her the whole way home, but she trembled the entire time. Even after we got to our house, she looked nervous and unsure, lacking confidence. She never barked or whined. She was quiet and hesitant. We gave her space, and gently played with her outside. It turned out she loved squeaky toys!
It took her a few weeks to settle in and find her voice, but, boy, did she find it! She started barking one night. We were startled to hear her howl like a hound dog because she’s NOT a hound dog! In fact, she’s mostly Terrier and Cattle dog. Each day, her confidence grew a little more.
Today, she is my ESA dog, and has more confidence than any dog I’ve ever had in 50 years. She barks at every sound and delivery person. She whines when she wants to play. Cali now makes all kinds of weird, cute little growling noises when she plays with her adopted sister, Willow.
Cali is a totally different dog, and she’s deeply bonded to me in a way that I can’t even describe. I can’t even begin to imagine my life without her. We’ve had Cali since June of 2023.
Willow’s Story
Cali has a LOT of energy! We realized we needed a pup for her to play and socialize with. Her energy is next-level and was tough to match….until we met Willow.
Willow’s story is a bit cloudy. We found her who through a foster system, here in Idaho. She was found as a stray. She had been living in a foster home for a few weeks. We came across a photo of her online, and her eyes were sparkling!
Her birth date and actual age are unknown. A vet guessed that she was around a year and a half, based on the size of her uterus. Her foster came to our home to do a meet and greet with Cali. Willow (at the time named Snow), and us all walked Cali and “Snow” together. At the time, we wanted to see how they would do together, and they did fairly well. Although, we noticed Willow pulled hard on the leash, being half Husky.
We brought “Snow” into our backyard with Cali. Afterwards, we took them both off of their leashes to see how they would interact with each other. To our surprise, they jumped right into playing… and playing hard! They went at it for several minutes. We pulled them apart to force a break, as we could see they were getting a bit intense.
We all agreed that they were a perfect fit for each other, and they have been ever since. We’ve had Willow since August of 2024.
