My family moved to Colorado right before the start of my 5th grade. We again, lived in another apartment until my parents decided that we would live here for awhile. They looked for a house and promised me that I can finally get a dog since we'll finally have a yard to keep it in.
So I did my research. I borrowed or bought every single dog breed book available and spent years reading through them making a list of the breeds of dog I wanted. My parents threw breed like "cocker spaniel," "Alaskan Malamute," "poodle," at me while I shot down their suggestions. "Cocker spaniel? You have to get those groomed; professionally groomed. That's extra expenses!" (In reality, I just plain don't like cocker spaniels. I hate their weird shaped apple heads, their doleful eyes, their clumsy looking paws, and I dunno, they just didn't look like my dream dog). "Alaskan Malamute? They're huge! They have way too much energy and we won't have a yard big enough for it! You hate going for walks!" (Reality: I wanted a Siberian Husky. I love their pale blue eyes and Malamutes just don't have those pretty pretty blue eyes). "Poodle? No." (There, at least I was honest. I think it was my mom who wanted a poodle but again, they don't scream "dog" to me, it screams "priss").
My parents bought a house and after we got settled in we started browsing the classifieds for a dog. I was hoping for a Siberian Husky, Irish Setter, German Shepherd, Samoyed, something that was sturdy enough to endure Colorado winters and a dog that was beautiful and loyal. Again, my parents lied to me. Screw what I wanted and the fact that I spent years of my life extensively researching dogs that appealed to me. My grandpa called (the same one that ate my chickens) to tell us of a friend who has a Jindo that just had a litter of puppies and was willing to sell on to us. WTF? I didn't want a Jindo! I wanted a German Shepherd! Or an Irish Setter!
Alas, we got one of those puppies. She came to us on Christmas day, a tiny shivering pup cowering in the back of her airline kennel. I went with my dad to get her from the airport (my grandpa came too) and the first thing my grandpa says is "Don't stick your fingers in her cage; she's vicious and she'll bite you." As I saw her peering at me through the cage door, I stuck my fingers through. Right as I remembered my grandpa's warning and was trying to pull my fingers back, she scurried over and licked me. And I knew that everything I wanted in my dream dog, I was going to have in her.
She just knew that I was going to be her owner. She was so loyal and quick to learn, she was devoted and faithful and amazing in every way possible. At least to our family; try as we might, we couldn't get her socialized enough and she was so territorial that she wouldn't even let people walk between me and her. If they stared too long, she'd lunge at them. She never gave a warning growl and always attacked first. Luckily, she only nipped at a small child when she got loose and the kid was playing hopscotch in our front yard. At least she didn't break the skin and the kid's mom was totally ok with it (I guess that was the only plus side of having meth heads next door).
I had her for 7 years. Seven years and then my parents split up and my dad took Sari with him to Washington. I've seen her twice since my dad moved, and she's still alive but she's getting really old and my dad being the cheap asshole he is, hasn't taken her to the vet even when I offered to pay.
Everything I wanted to give to Sari, I give to Cooper. In some ways it's because I feel bad and maybe I'm trying to make amends to Sari. I know it's not fair to her, and Cooper is certainly spoiled beyond belief and Sari is still silently suffering at my dad's. When I did see her those two times, she was so excited she started crying and wagging her tail so hard she had trouble standing. Her ears pinned back and you could just see joy in her. Cooper never greets me like that even if I've been gone for a week. He just doesn't care or if he does, he does a really good job of not showing it.
Anyway, she's 13. My brother and I are pretty sure she has at least another 3 years in her.
As for future pets, I still hope to get a German Shepherd. Before I got Cooper, my then boyfriend and I were talking about dogs and I really wanted a German Shepherd but we decided against it since we were going to live in an apartment for awhile. As soon as I can afford a bigger place and if Cooper's not around, I hope to get one and hopefully, he'll have the qualities that I love about Sari and the ones I love about Cooper.
So I did my research. I borrowed or bought every single dog breed book available and spent years reading through them making a list of the breeds of dog I wanted. My parents threw breed like "cocker spaniel," "Alaskan Malamute," "poodle," at me while I shot down their suggestions. "Cocker spaniel? You have to get those groomed; professionally groomed. That's extra expenses!" (In reality, I just plain don't like cocker spaniels. I hate their weird shaped apple heads, their doleful eyes, their clumsy looking paws, and I dunno, they just didn't look like my dream dog). "Alaskan Malamute? They're huge! They have way too much energy and we won't have a yard big enough for it! You hate going for walks!" (Reality: I wanted a Siberian Husky. I love their pale blue eyes and Malamutes just don't have those pretty pretty blue eyes). "Poodle? No." (There, at least I was honest. I think it was my mom who wanted a poodle but again, they don't scream "dog" to me, it screams "priss").
My parents bought a house and after we got settled in we started browsing the classifieds for a dog. I was hoping for a Siberian Husky, Irish Setter, German Shepherd, Samoyed, something that was sturdy enough to endure Colorado winters and a dog that was beautiful and loyal. Again, my parents lied to me. Screw what I wanted and the fact that I spent years of my life extensively researching dogs that appealed to me. My grandpa called (the same one that ate my chickens) to tell us of a friend who has a Jindo that just had a litter of puppies and was willing to sell on to us. WTF? I didn't want a Jindo! I wanted a German Shepherd! Or an Irish Setter!
Alas, we got one of those puppies. She came to us on Christmas day, a tiny shivering pup cowering in the back of her airline kennel. I went with my dad to get her from the airport (my grandpa came too) and the first thing my grandpa says is "Don't stick your fingers in her cage; she's vicious and she'll bite you." As I saw her peering at me through the cage door, I stuck my fingers through. Right as I remembered my grandpa's warning and was trying to pull my fingers back, she scurried over and licked me. And I knew that everything I wanted in my dream dog, I was going to have in her.
She just knew that I was going to be her owner. She was so loyal and quick to learn, she was devoted and faithful and amazing in every way possible. At least to our family; try as we might, we couldn't get her socialized enough and she was so territorial that she wouldn't even let people walk between me and her. If they stared too long, she'd lunge at them. She never gave a warning growl and always attacked first. Luckily, she only nipped at a small child when she got loose and the kid was playing hopscotch in our front yard. At least she didn't break the skin and the kid's mom was totally ok with it (I guess that was the only plus side of having meth heads next door).
I had her for 7 years. Seven years and then my parents split up and my dad took Sari with him to Washington. I've seen her twice since my dad moved, and she's still alive but she's getting really old and my dad being the cheap asshole he is, hasn't taken her to the vet even when I offered to pay.
Everything I wanted to give to Sari, I give to Cooper. In some ways it's because I feel bad and maybe I'm trying to make amends to Sari. I know it's not fair to her, and Cooper is certainly spoiled beyond belief and Sari is still silently suffering at my dad's. When I did see her those two times, she was so excited she started crying and wagging her tail so hard she had trouble standing. Her ears pinned back and you could just see joy in her. Cooper never greets me like that even if I've been gone for a week. He just doesn't care or if he does, he does a really good job of not showing it.
Anyway, she's 13. My brother and I are pretty sure she has at least another 3 years in her.
As for future pets, I still hope to get a German Shepherd. Before I got Cooper, my then boyfriend and I were talking about dogs and I really wanted a German Shepherd but we decided against it since we were going to live in an apartment for awhile. As soon as I can afford a bigger place and if Cooper's not around, I hope to get one and hopefully, he'll have the qualities that I love about Sari and the ones I love about Cooper.
2 comments:
i'm sorry about sari. i hope she wasn't in pain when she died.
it's funny, i just got my shiba inu puppy. but i already told my boyfriend, if/when we get another dog, i want a german shepherd... you know, something easier than a shiba inu ;P they're cute but they are their own dog.
I hope that Sari wasn't in pain, either. I really miss her.
The problem I'm having with finding a good German Shepard breeder is that most of the ones I found breed their dogs to have those awful low slung hindquarters. I find that unappealing and feel like those are potential health hazards.
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