Thankful Thursday

Farley - When I think back to getting Farley, I made almost every mistake in the book. I allowed my landlady's dog to beat up on him, I used jerk & pull obedience methods and I gave him some pretty bad haircuts. Still, he has loved me and given everything he could to me, every single day. I am thankful for our good night and good morning routines. That's our time, since the other two sleep in crates. I look Farley in the eyes and tell him how much I love him and how much I appreciate every day with him. He sneezes on me (he aims for my glasses I think!), licks me, turns around 3 times and snuggles in for the night. In the morning, he covers his eyes and groans when I turn the light on. He wags his tail slowly, and wakes up in his own time, coming to make sure that the evil, killer socks are chewing my ankles off. Those moments mean the world to me.

Grace - I am so thankful to Grace for helping piece my heart back together after Quigley died and I sent Billy to Mare. At that point my heart was a bleeding, broken mess, and Gracie-Lou came into my life and wove it back together. She was a very naughty puppy, but she always checked to make sure that her antics were making me smile instead of scowl. Despite not enjoying obedience, she learned quickly and tolerated my fumbled clicker training attempts. In agility, she excels despite me (certainly not because of me!) and she seems to know what I want of her even if I can't get the right words out of my mouth. She is a serious, sensitive soul . . . meant for healing and caring and loving. She is the epitome of a therapy dog, and my niece Tashie's bestest friend ever. She tolerates everything, and uses those deep brown eyes to tell me she'll take more, as long as it means I love her.

Jack Jack - This dog is my Farley understudy. I honestly didn't know that you could love two dogs so much and so intensely all at once. It's true - you can. Despite Jack Jack's fears (most of which are deep-rooted), he wants so badly to please me that he'll try almost anything (except approaching nasty black garbage bags). He has joie de vivre that I haven't seen since I had Billy . . . and I didn't fully appreciate it in Billy, due to my other struggles at the time. He is smart, fun and so very loving. He is always checking to make sure Mom is close by (that's me!) and that I'm okay. He loves Grace and tolerates Farley, but he adores me above all else. I am so thankful for him to allowing me to polish my clicker training and behavioral training skills on him, and I'm glad that he has slowly gained confidence and interest in the world around him. I love his big heart, his soft eyes, and his desire to be with Mom at all times.

Even on the days that I would gladly PAY somebody to take my dogs, I am thankful for what I learn from them, and for how much they give of themselves. They are my comfort on rough days, my sunshine on cloudy days. They have taught me to live in the moment, and to forgive those you love. They have also taught me to play often and to play hard. They're good dogs, and I'm awfully glad they're mine.