i had two growing up. one had tummy issues that, in our ignorance, we didnt deal well with. a better quality food than Iams probably would ahve gone a LONG LONG way.
Lady (yep, seriously) was very nervous, she had the tummy issues. she was the most energetic (even to her death bed
RIP you annoying yappy dog, i sure loved you!!) zoomy, happy go lucky dog ever!!! she would roo at just about anything!!! but not for long.
she *loved* children, she loved licking their faces and romping after them in the yard... she wasnt the smartest dog ever but she was one of the happiest, loving affectionate dogs ive ever met.
Betsy (my dearest love, sometimes i still cry) was the most dedicated dog i have ever had the pleasure of sharing my life with. she would follow me everywhere. she would take down rabbits, bury them and then dig their heads up later and leave them on the porch for us. she developed hypothyroidism later in life, again, probably related to a poor diet. she was my strength when no one else loved me.
both dogs were extremely, painfully patient with children. i remember one horrified day where Blake had a death grip on Lady's(?? its been sooo long!!!) eye lashes, had them pulled up to the point wher eyou could see her whites!! she whimpered to let us know she was in pain but WAITED for one of us (in this case my step mom got there first) to dislodge the kid. Betsy's favorite thing was to sneak down into the day care and sleep with the children after lunch.
each night, Betsy would sleep behind my knees and Lady would sleep in my arms.
looking back, both were from Puppy Mills back when no one really knew what they were. it was a huge warehouse filled with kennels with wire mesh floors. they were sisters. Lady was the tiniest one, Betsy was the largest and strongest with freckles on her nose.
they both lived to be a few months past 16. Betsy was blind and deaf and hypothyroid. Lady could barely see, her ears worked well enough but she couldnt hold her pee anymore. neither had the ability to go down the stairs anymore nor through what little snow was on the ground. they had fatty tumors and weird skin warts. we decided to put them down the last time i visited my dad and step mom. it was unquestionably the hardest decision of my life.
we buried them out back in a casket my father made. we left flowers for Lady because she would dig them up and rip them through the yard in her better days. Betsy got a pair of my undies (cause she use to chew them
) and a leather saddle to one of my daughters toys. she use to chew MY leather stuff, then it was my daughters. the both had chocolate (copious amounts of chocolate) on the way into the vet and had a whole 1lb bag to go along with them because BOTH of them would do ANYTHING for peanutbutter M&M's.
they were the best dogs a kid could ever ask for. i hope you find it in your heart to bring one home, dont spoil the snot out of him/her but show whatever love and kindness and knowledge you ahve. they are wonderful dogs!!!
-ashley