The first week of June is a time to reflect on all the ways we appreciate our pets and celebrate what they do for us and what we can do for them. There is a special relationship we have with our pets and each of those relationships is special and different from all the other relationships we have. I have three canines in my life. Kiba is a 14 year old mixed breed dog that I rescued in veterinary school on the island of St. Kitts. Raya is a one year old australian shepherd. And Tink a four year old australian shepherd. They are all completely different in personality, energy, and naughty behaviors! They can all push my buttons especially after a long day but I love them all very much.
Kiba is a sweet old dog. In her younger days she fancied herself a hunter. She would chase birds on the beach and she had killed several moles, voles, and even a groundhog in her younger days. I have always been torn between anger and pride when she catches little critters! These days you can find Kiba keeping a close eye on her family, sleeping on the couch, sunbathing in the yard and begging at the breakfast table for blueberries. With age comes extra TLC and doctor visits. Through the years Kiba has had cancer 3 times, developed heart and kidney disease, elbow arthritis, and thyroid disease. Medically she is the most needy of all of my dogs but we don’t mind in the least because she brings us so much joy. Her increasing age and multiple different diseases that we are managing make everyday with this sweet girl precious.
Tink is the middle child and she follows all the middle child cliches to a “T.” She breaks any rule in the house she can- counter surfs, steals food from your dinner plate or your hand, has selective hearing, and is suffering being picked on from her younger sister. I wouldn’t feel too bad for her though she picked on Kiba a lot when she
was young so this is just karma. She was brought into the home with the intention of being my dog, this was great until she grew up and decided she liked my husband best… so she is his dog. As a puppy Tink lived up to her breed extraordinarily! She de-pants her pet sitter in the back yard and pulled a vet tech to the ground by her pony tail. Thankfully now that we are well into adulthood she is a calm dog who likes attention and to play ball in the yard.
Raya is the youngest and still in her wild child phase. She is one year old and a naughty little aussie. She is a jealous little puppy, we cannot pet either of the other two dogs without her butting in. She will push the other dog out of the way for attention anytime. She is also a little cuddle bug, falls asleep on the bed tied her head on the pillow. She still gets puppy zoomies and can easily leap over the back of the couch without touching it. She has some growing up to do still but the is shaping up to be a sweet little wiggle butt.
What makes your pets special? What makes you want to hug them and what makes you need extra patience?
