How much is that Doggie? Part I

I was reminiscing with my sister about the dogs we had as children. My how times have changed. These days the first thing you need to get if you want to bring a dog into your life is pet insurance.

When I was a kid you got your designer dog from the neighbours for free, took it to the vet maybe once or twice in its lifetime and you had a choice of dog chow or puppy chow at the supermarket.

My mother bought a purebred Shetland Sheepdog when I was 5 and he was very precious. He didn’t live very long and we were very sad when he died. It was a mystery because we didn’t know he was sick. He was about 4 years old at the time.

So we went back to getting our dogs from the neighbors for free. “Rowdy” who was a gentle soul of indeterminate origins was a dog of legend. You know how everyone who has had a dog growing up and has amazing stories about them. The stories get more and more amazing as time goes by.

Not wanting to miss out, one summer when we were at our grandparents for vacation, I pleaded with my parents to let me have a puppy from the local farmer. “She’s only $20, please, please, please… I’ll do everything for her! My mother of course said “no way” but after a long trail ride (on horse back) and a few beers, my father fished $20 out of his pocket and said “go get her”. I was elated and “Piper” a Border collie x Aussie shepherd joined our family. She was a bouncing ball of energy and my mother made sure I held up my end of the bargain. She taught me that it takes hard work to care for someone who has needs day in and day out and that you have to face up to your responsibilities. Dogs and children make great companions, provided they are given proper supervision from a responsible adult.

I made the mistake of getting another dog in my early teens, when my attention was elsewhere. Socialising, working and the life of a young person in general wreaked havoc on another sweet little Shetland Sheepdog called “Dandy” but luckily a lovely family adopted him and he got to live the life he deserved. There are worse things than rehoming a dog and lack of time and attention are at the top of my list. It was a traumatic experience, because as much as I loved that little dog, I knew in my my heart that I was not giving him what he needed. It took several years and a change of continents before I had the courage to try again. I had a wonderful supportive husband, a new home…

What could possibly go wrong…