Actually my first dog was a black cocker spaniel..I don’t remember much about her other than she was kept away from me when I was small because she liked to bite me…apparently.

My sister’s name was Eide

She was a poodle…registered name…Cher Eide Beau Belle of Greens.  She had a higher standing in the family than I did.  My mother always told me that if she bit me, she would spank me.  ah yes!  Eide and I  felt safe with her in her little cage and whenever we left the house, Eide would go in the cage…willingly…unless it was me putting her in there.  When I was home alone and wanted to go out and play, I would line the cage up against the kitchen cupboards, entice her in with a treat, then push the cage up against the cupboard doors…you see…I was smart enough not to put my fingers close to the cage door to secure it.  I had a love/hate relationship with Eide.

After he and I had been married a few years, we decided to adopt a schnauzer from the people who lived next door to my folks.  Josh was with us many, many years.  I think he lived to be about 17.  Josh was the first word Jenny learned to say.

After Josh died, Maybelle found us.  She had been dumped on the gravel road in front of our house.  She found a home in the storm drain and refused to leave…so we took her in.  She was a beautiful border collie who loved the neighbor’s chickens.  My mom called over one day and said…Maybelle is having a lot of fun with a toy.  We looked out – the toy was a stupid chicken who somehow wandered into the fenced in area.  Maybelle didn’t have a great life..we kept her outside for the most part.  I really wasn’t wanting another dog so soon..I always felt she was sad.

Then Brandie came along.  Our friends were moving to Arizona and couldn’t take her so we agreed to love her.

She was overweight – smiled on command – and was the perfect dog.  I totally fell in love with her – heart and soul.

One day – the Chief of Police in Monroe came to the radio room and asked if anyone wanted to adopt a yellow lab he had.  I bit.  Sierra was ours.  She and Brandie were the canine loves of my life.

Brandi died not too long after we got Sierra.

Sierra was lost…mopey…so we decided to go to the ARL and find Sierra a friend.  We took her along and she finally picked out Frannie….

We still have Frannie.  She’s an old girl and has calmed down.  I think mostly Sierra may have regretted her choice. Frannie was a handful!

I love this picture…Sierra looks to be saying – uh oh..someones going to be in trouble.

Which is where Marley came in.  I was browsing on line for dogs.  Like I needed another one…but I wanted to save them all.  I found Marley at a rescue facility in Iowa City.  He was huge and he was blind in one eye.  We decided to go over and meet him and there was no question once I saw him that he was going home with us.

Sierra, Frannie and Marley also opened up their hearts to living with 5 cats…they all got along beautifully for the most part..they all lived together with us in the house.

All of the dogs taught me something about life – mostly about love….and I still feel an agonizing loss when I think of each one of them.

This post is in honor of National Dog Day.

Until next time….