How Many Ways Do We Love Them?

HOW MANY WAYS DO WE LOVE THEM?

 Reflecting on the early morning stentorian rumbling snoring of Talley, my English Lab, inspired the content for this, my initial Dog Star Daily blog. Let me add that I am honored to be rubbing elbows (or blogs) with the talent that comprises the Dog Star Daily team. What do we really love about our dogs? For myself, this is infinite, too many ways to count. As I reflected on this, I decided to list things that perhaps we take for granted, the little things that make us smile, the things we would dearly miss, things that would leave a gaping void. Certainly every single dog loving reader could easily construct such a list, or maybe already has one floating about in their thoughts.  Here are but a few of the things I love about the Look What I Can Do! labbies, things that make me smile, things that would be dearly missed:

• As mentioned, the pervasive snoring of Talley, rivaling that of any human, for noise and sound effects. Even so, it is oddly comforting.

• Having my own personal herd (as I like to call them) of three labbies thundering up the stairs after me.
• Looking up to find the soulful kind brown eyes of Billiebob (R.I.P. 03/2008) upon me, always. Bridget in particular now seems to find that her job, and rarely takes her eyes off me. Clients in class remark that her eyes never leave me. How can you feel alone when your dog constantly watches you?
• The endearing habit of Talley, loathe to be parted from her beloved Tuffies frisbee, toting it from room to room about the house. Where she goes, the frisbee goes.  
• “Oooof”, the quiet exhalation by Bridget, as she lowers herself to rest.
• Never being able to do yoga without the “help” of at least one lab. Bridget likes to stand over me staring, nose to nose, so I can feel her warm breath on my face. Talley, a bit more invasive, whines and snorts while smushing a prized object (often a shoe) into my face. The more I laugh (and it often becomes helpless laughter) the more she wants to share.  
• Doobie hurling himself into an amazing shoulder high vertical leap at the door.
• Bridget, a danger to herself and others, in her propensity for charging out of the forest with the hugest longest log she can manage, and knee capping the unsuspecting as she gallops by.
• The joy of watching Doobie play unreservedly, a lab who lived all his life on a puppy mill until May 2009, a lab who did not even know how to be a dog, when he began his new life.  
• Comfort, of the warm length of a long labbie body, stretched out alongside you.
• The free spirit that is Bridget, tackling life with gusto, much as she plunges head first into the water on top of a ball, throwing herself off a dock at a full gallop.

 How many ways do you love your dogs? What are the character quirks and behaviors that you might take for granted, but would leave a gaping void if no longer present? Each of our dogs is unique and we love them for the special qualities making them who they are, for adding so much love to our lives. Take time to reflect, if you will, on all the ways you love your dog.