"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Thursday, January 28, 2016

My Canine Companions ~ Blessings !

 I don't think I can ever underestimate the many ways my canine companions have enriched my life. This is Whimsy our German Shepherd. If I had known many years ago what an amazing breed German Shepherds are Whimsy would not have been our first GS Dog. I believe we have been mightily blessed she is our first because of her willingness to please us and quickly learn our ways and routines , mutually beneficial to all concerned. And how could you not love a face like this ? She is looking at me in this picture. She watches, studies, and follows me , humbling me with her unwavering devotion.
 This is Hawk, our old Vizsla , settled in front of our fireplace with our other constant companion, Blizzard. Blizzard may look like a cat, but he is 20 pounds of muscle in a cat body with the personality and friendliness of the average snuggly dog. Blizzard actually becomes a nuisance when we have company because he runs to see who's here and then proceeds to jump in their laps, especially if that company includes children. He loves being in the midst of loud playful kids and often frustrates them by snatching their toys for himself. Alas, Blizzard usually has to settle for us and our dogs, but he has no qualms about thrusting himself upon us. Hawk always appreciates a warm body to lean into and he and Blizzard are friends.
 Beatrix is 11 years old and such a faithful dog. She and Whimsy do not get along because they both strive to be by my side. Whimsy works hard at keeping Beatrix away from me by circling us as we walk and nipping Beatrix , trying to bully Beatrix to stay back away from me, far away from me. This works too , because Beatrix will back away from me and flatten herself on the ground when this happens. It is apparent Whimsy has quickly become the "alpha" in my little pack of four. I am working with Whimsy to teach her manners, it is not polite to mistreat your elders . This has really been my biggest challenge with Whimsy. I will not allow her to abuse Beatrix , and Beatrix is the only dog she picks on. I have been thinking on this since Whimsy was 6 months old. Why does Beatrix seem to concern her regarding me ? How can I stop her from bullying Beatrix... still working on this, but Whimsy has not physically harmed Beatrix , and thus far Whimsy has respected my insistence on this. ( She'd better ! )
 This is Willow, Beatrix's older sister. She is 13 years old. Both Beatrix and Willow were born in my kitchen. They are full sisters from different litters. Willow and Whimsy are companions, sharing the back yard and porch. They sleep together too. Willow gets along with everyone, people, other dogs, cats. She loves nothing more than food and her beef bones. She is always carrying a beef bone around with her and sleeps with her favorite beef bone. Willow is one of those dogs often unappreciated until they are gone because she is so easy to have around. Sometimes she is silly and it is fun to watch her roll around in the grass , one of her big pleasures. Rolling, rolling, rolling.. and snorting with pure doggy joy as she does.
All our dogs love to hang out with my grandchildren , and all my grandchildren love dogs. My canine companions enrich my life, entertain me, and I hope I give to them even a fraction of the love and devotion they give to me. My dogs are a blessing to me and I am thankful for them. ( Picture is of Whimsy and one of our grandsons, daughter's youngest son. )

16 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a great post about your canine family members. They all look lovable that's for sure.

FlowerLady

A.K.W. said...

Nice dogs and cat!

Amy

L. D. said...

All of your dogs and cat are wonderful. Our border collie tries to keep my wife from going upstairs every night since we have had him. He can't take the stairs and it is best he guards things downstairs anyway. We have two older dogs and I worry about their last days.

Brenda Leyland @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

What a lovely tribute to your furry family. They give us so much joy, don't they?

Sending wishes for a beautiful day...
Brenda

Stella Jones said...

Oh I did enjoy your post. I would love a dog but the other members of the household don't want one so I have to manage without. I do have my two lovely cats though.
Dogs always have a leader in the pack don't they and it sounds like Whimsy has assumed that position. When we adopted Panda last October I was a bit worried about Millie's reaction. She wasn't keen at all at first because she was and is top cat! Panda is much bigger than Millie but so far she has kept her position.

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

I love the photos of your little FurBabies!! What sweeties!!

Connie said...

Such beautiful photos and a wonderful tribute to your four-legged friends. You are blessed with a full house when it comes to your animal friends. :)

Yesteryear Embroideries said...

Your post and your photos are so touching! I thought about you during the terrible blizzard..........hope that you did not get too much snow? Have a great weekend!

Pondside said...

I think every one who loves dogs will love this post, Kathy. I don't know what I'd do without my little Rory, who gets me out onto the beach, rain or shine. When I looked a the last photo I thought of how happy dogs and children will be when you are living closer together!

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I didn't realize you had this many furbabies Kathy and loved hearing about each as I gazed upon their sweet faces. Funny that Whimsy should pick on one older female and not the other but I'm sure you'll get that sorted out. We only had cats growing up and I have enjoyed having dogs, one at a time for their companionship.
Have a nice weekend.

Lori @ Our Life In The Pacific Northwest said...

A beautiful tribute to your devoted companions... Lori

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Kathy, a thoroughly enjoyable post; enjoyed reading about the companions. German Shepherds have the biggest 'chase' instinct of any breed and due to the jealousy you might consider not leaving Whimsey and Beatrix alone. Jealousy can be a problem but, thankfully, it's not been much of a problem here. My prayer has always been, "Dear Lord, please let me die the day after I can no longer have an animal."
BTW, just finished re-watching the Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane mysteries...such a pleasure.

Deborah Montgomery said...

Yours dogs and cat all look so lovable and friendly. I've always been scared of German shepherds because we had a neighbor when we were growing up who had a mean one, and somehow I thought they were "Nazi" dogs. !! It wasn't until just recently that I've noticed many people talking about their wonderful German shepherds. So I'm glad to be proven wrong. That particular dog probably was not well taken care of.

Debbie said...

Beatrix and my aussie Beau are the same age. This is troubling to me now as he is easily the best dog I've ever had, and he is nearing the end of his life. I've loved all my dogs, but never have I had a dog that loved me like this one. He is absolutely MY dog. Although he loves the whole family it's me he prefers. He stops whatever he's doing when I get up and follows me. He waits for me. He is miserable when I have to leave him and elated when I return, and I try not to leave him for to long very often. I don't plan to replace him. Our oldest granddaughter is allergic to dogs, and I don't want to ever have to go through another parting as I see this one coming.
I try and remember to enjoy his company each day, thank the Lord for him, and remind myself that this is the way things are.
Our pets are all special, but sometimes ONE makes a difference. You seem to have several special.

Anonymous said...

I loved this post and photos, Kathy. I don't remember ever being around a German Shepherd. I believe your daughter gifted him to you. I have followed you for a long time and love all of your furry friends. Our new dog has lifted us from depression and has truly been a gift from God - which is what "Theo" means! Sending love across the miles.

Anonymous said...

p.s. I mis-typed, I know Whimsy is a girl. sorry~