I use the term “us”, because this blog was created based on all the dogs I’ve loved and lost, and 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, and have had an large iguana, bunnies, dogs, fish, hamsters, cats, birds, and the like, throughout my life.
Dogs are different. They’re intelligent, kind, full of joy, loving, and they naturally live in the moment, and 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, but was passed on to someone else when she was no longer allowed in the home she had been in. I was told her new foster kept her in a kennel 8-10 hours a day (during work hours) and at night, so there wasn’t much interaction. Her foster described her as “independent”, never barked, and liked to be on her own.
I saw her photo online and 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 of any kind. I sat in the grass to make myself available, and she was all over me, kissing and jumping, and as happy as could be. My husband got a piece of this joy and love, too. It was an instant connection.
She was, of course, terrified of the car, but I put her on the floor of the passenger seat, between my legs and protected her the whole way home. She trembled the whole way home. Even after we got home, she looked nervous and unsure, lacking confidence. She never barked or whined. So 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, and we were surprised to hear her howl like a hounddog one night, because she’s NOT a hounddog! In fact, she’s mostly Terrier and Cattledog. Each day, her confidence would build a little more.
Today, she is my ESA dog, and has more confidence than any dog I’ve ever had in 50 year. She barks at every sound, delivery person, whines when she wants to play, and makes all kinds of weird, growly noises when she plays with her adopted sister, Willow. She’s a totally different dog, and she’s deeply bonded to me in a way that I can’t even describe.
I can’t imagine m life without her.
Willow’s Story
Cali has a LOT of energy, so we needed a pup for her to play and socialize with, but Cali’s energy, being next-level 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, apparently, found as a stray, and had been living in a foster home for a few weeks when we found a photo of her online.
Nobody knows her birthdate or her actual age, but a vet guessed that she was around a year and a half, based on the size of her uterus. Her foster, Willow (at the time named Snow due to her off-white coat), and us all walked Cali and Willow together to see how they would do, and they did fairly well, although we noticed Willow, being half Husky, pulled hard on the leash.
Afterwards, we brought “Snow” into our backyard with Cali and 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 before we pulled them apart to force a break and well agreed that they were a perfect fit for each other.
