Chassie threw out the next topic on her last post whether she knew it or not. That, my friends, is the comparisons we make between our pets or those close to us. I have only had a small pool to draw from, but have expanded said pool from what Chassie has told me.
Let me start by saying, as I told Chassie earlier this evening, Bella is six and a half months old. Whom she'll become is unknown to us, but largely dependent on us. There has been a lot of frustration these past four months, more so than we've let on through these writings. In the end, I think both of us are enamored with Bella. I'm more willing to admit that publicly that Chassie may be. However, both of us are more than willing to compare her to dogs we have known in the past.
I'll just list them as best I can:
Rusty: A Brittany Spaniel my family adopted when he was roughly 18 months old. Thinking back, Bella has been an angel compared to him. I remember we would come home from church, or some other event and he had destroyed the kitchen, getting into the trash and especially the newspapers. There was one major event, where he chewed through the wooden doors, tore down the drapes in the living room, emptied the contents of the trash can, and made a mesh of the house. My dad was furious. I couldn't imagine being in Rusty's place at that moment. Mom confirmed that he was going to be given to the "Pound" that particular evening, except they were just about to close. Rusty survived another day and "calmed down." He turned out to be a really good dog, I was even able to use him as a pillow while watching television. He did have a thing for squirrels and would want to chase after them while we were on walks. I don't think he ever was able to successfully catch one, though he tried.
McKenzie: A Victorian Bulldog John had at Longwood. I met her the same year I met John, Jeff, Nicolette and Maggee. Some of the best times of my short life were surrounded by those people and McKenzie. McKenzie was a sweetheart. Always with the tongue that one; panting, licking or smiling, she could turn any day into a good one. She was four or five months old when we met her. She got to wear the diaper. She was the only dog I've ever known, that had not been spayed. I'm not sure if there was ever a bad moment with McKenzie when she was growing up (maybe those are John's "Poop Chronicles"), I just know that she was one fantastic dog. Unfortunately, she was taken from us way too soon because of cancer.
Montana: A Boxer Jeff brought home the day after Valentine's Day. Jeff, myself and Matt were living together in Fairfax at that time. I remember I was sitting on the couch playing Grand Theft Auto with Matt when Jeff walked in with this little puppy. At first, I thought it was a joke and he was only watching it for someone. Then it dawned on me that no one's going to have a friend watch an eight week old puppy. I'm pretty sure I called Chassie after that realization and she came over. She was excited about Montana, probably because she could give her back. I wasn't fully in charge of Montana, but I feel that I did help raise her, so she is the closest comparison I have to Bella. Therefore, 'Tana gets a second paragraph.
I vaguely remember her peeing in the hallway. She probably had a few accidents on the carpet. We used a board blocking the kitchen and the hallway to keep her in the living room with us. She eventually figured out how to jump over that board. I remember the few nights I would have to take care of her. I would get frustrated that she didn't go to the bathroom after ten minutes of me standing outside. I have that same feeling with Bella every night. The memory that remains of Montana is her laying up against me on the couch, chewing on a toy or sleeping peacefully. We lived together for four years? I ask the question because I'm such a bad judge of time, it could have been six years for all I know. Regardless of how long it was, I think Matt and I raised Montana along with Jeff. I know she's Jeff's dog and always will be, but I know 'Tana still greets me with a little more enthusiasm than other guests and whenever Matt comes back to town, she remembers who he is. We may have not known exactly what we were doing when we raised her, but we had a good idea and Jeff was a pretty good dad. Montana turned out pretty good.
Kayla: A German Shepard Krista got about a year after Jeff got Montana. Again, I'm sorry but timelines are not my thing. Krista has told us many stories about Kayla and her poop. Sorry, I know, it always comes back to the poop with puppies. It turns out Kayla would throw her poop. That's right, like a monkey. I feel sorry for you, Krista. To return home from lunch and find your walls covered in a fresh new brown paint, I would have returned that one. Kayla has turned into a very nice adult dog, however she has always been people shy. I think I've been able to pet her twice since I've known her. Chassie has been able to trick her and pet her maybe three times. She's a very sweet dog, though. She definitely has a motherly instinct when it comes to other dogs.
Berkley: A Bernese Mountain Dog my sister Kelly owned. Berkley was the smartest dog I've ever known. I usually only saw him once a year, but every year he would greet me and then give me space as his brother, Cisco, a golden retriever, made his appearance known. Cisco was always rambunctious and pushed his way around Berkley, absorbing your attention. Berkley had a way about him, slowly creeping up next to you when you weren't expecting it and saying, "My brother's crazy. I'm sorry. I'm here and I'm calm." He would patiently wait for his turn to be petted, and always got petted the longest. He would do any trick I asked. He was another one that was taken too soon.
Missy: Chassie's dad's chocolate lab. I don't have the stories to do her justice. She's been described by Chassie as the smartest dog she's ever known. I've only met her a few times, but each time I've been impressed. One of her front legs had to be removed two(?) years ago because of bone cancer, but it doesn't seem to affect her at all. She's present in one of the cutest pictures of Chassie I've ever seen.
Hunter: Chassie family's blonde lab. You've heard about Hunter before, you will hear about Hunter again. The story was they went to "look" at dogs, without intending to take a dog home, but Roberta had a basket in the trunk waiting for the puppy that became Hunter. Almost fifteen years later he was the standard that all dogs will have to face for the Smith family. I had know Hunter only in his middle to late years, but he was on another level. There was just something about Hunter that made it easy for you to love him. Chassie asked me one time if I had to take Hunter or Draco home, which would I choose? I chose Hunter. She said, "Everyone always chooses Hunter."
Draco: Oh, Draco. Draco is Chassie's Australian Shepherd mix. Our history together has been up and down. There was a time when I'm pretty sure he did not like me. In fact, I was convinced he hated me. I would go over to Chassie's and he would freak out. He would not want to be in the same room as me, he would start shaking, he could not stay still, he would pant and pace and finally the only thing we could do was let him out of the room. He would go upstairs to where Roberta was and either hang out with her or sit in the bathtub. When Chassie and I decided to move in together, we brought Draco over to spend the night and all he did was cower in the corner by Chassie, away from me. To be quite honest, I didn't know if there was anything that could be done for him to like me. When he moved in, it was all forgiven. He took a day or two to adjust to his new surroundings, but now he makes my house his home. I take him on walks, I feed him sometimes, it's almost like he's become my dog as well as hers. He's an easy dog to get along with.
There's a number of dogs that have been left off this list, Scruffy, Tramp, Dutch, Zoe, Mario, Dakota, Riot, Cisco, I do apologize. There are some on the list that I cannot do justice for because they were such incredible dogs; Rusty, McKenzie, Berkley, Missy and Hunter, I'm talking about you. The point of this post is to remind both myself and Chassie that all of these dogs became great companions. We, (read Chassie) have very high expectations for Bella. Bella has a lot of endearing qualities, just not when she's chewing on the baseboards. Bella will be a good dog, just like all the others. We'll give her the love, we'll give her the guidance, we'll persevere through her rebellious times. If all goes well and she's willing, she may make as big an impact on someone's life as the dog's I've listed above. Good luck Bella, you've got some big paws to fill.
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