dog

It's no coincidence that a dog is a man's best friend; they're more faithful than most other animals, and more faithful than many people.

Tacoma: A Dog and a Snowy Mountain
Tacoma. What a screwball! What can I say? He kept me on my toes! Every day coming home from work, there he was to slide into the door from a full sprint to greet me! As soon as he’d hear the key in the doorknob…game over for me! You could hear his claws rapidly clicking across the hardwood floor as he scrambled down the hallway towards the front door.
By Tonya Wood4 years ago in Petlife
A Dog's Person
I’m not a dog person, but I might be one dog’s person. After a recent, terrifying, experience of getting attacked and bitten—twice—by a strange dog, I was keeping my distance from all creatures canine. Except for my grand dog Charlie, I steered clear from dogs I didn’t know, so when our new neighbors moved in with their dog Gandalf, I avoided getting too close. There is a fence between our houses and I was never so happy to have a fence than I was that first day Gandalf bounded out of his house, over to where I was near the fence and promptly started barking at me. I turned on my heel and practically ran into my house, never, ever, having felt so scared of a dog before in my life. I wasn’t so sure I’d like having an aggressive dog for a neighbor and it already seemed like Gandalf wasn’t crazy about me, either. But Gandalf and I had a different relationship in store for us, one neither of us saw coming.
By Cindy Eastman4 years ago in Petlife
Pablo and the Open Road
Most people buy or adopt a dog, but very few are paid to take a dog! My little man Pablo, a Chihuahua-Beagle mix, came into my life in the most unexpected way. As an international college student from Ireland – thousands of miles away from home in Nebraska – I had been longing for a dog. I grew up on a farm, surrounded by dogs, and being away from animals made the United States even more lonely. I longed for a furry best friend.
By alice akers4 years ago in Petlife
Hide and Seek
Out in the bush that day, we gulped in deep breaths of life as we played, serenaded by the familiar and comforting hum of nature. The Summer sun trickled through the eucalypts above, giving Charlie’s ebony coat a brilliant shine. This was our happy place, where we worked for the simple goal of wringing out the energy that always built to overflowing in his little Jack Russell body. The leaves crunched beneath our feet, releasing bursts of eucalyptus oil that clashed with the hot summer sun, serving to intensify the delicious smell of the Australian bush. Snakes probably slithered beneath our feet, but we were both unaware and didn’t care as we began Charlie’s first game of Hide and Seek. I am struck with Charlie’s apparent knowledge of how this game works, despite having never played before.
By Rachel Webb4 years ago in Petlife
Snow Day
Mylie & Me Mylie was 6 months old when she came into my life in May 2015. I had no plans to become a dog owner again, after all, I had a busy work life and not much time to myself as it was, so the arrival of a beautiful little puppy was totally unexpected and changed my life completely, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
By Dawn Vardigans4 years ago in Petlife
The College Stowaway
As a college student, I knew adopting a dog was probably not the best idea. The day I took Mason back to my apartment, I had only a few dollars in my bank account and final exams a week away. Besides financially and mentally struggling, I was also a horrible emotional mess that had just been dumped earlier that month. I had no time, money, or energy, yet I couldn’t stand the idea of him being sent away to a pound. Mason, a 70-pound black mixed bully breed, was sure to meet misfortune if he went to the pound.
By Stephanie Rosas4 years ago in Petlife
Where Does a Dog go When They Die?
Background Good old trusty. Though she was a 13-pound peakapoo, her namesake was the old baritone bloodhound from Lady and the Tramp (that’s another story). We found her after responding to a classified ad for the only hypoallergenic dogs we could find, which was a requirement in our home. The “breeder” introduced us to a variety of mutts of different sizes and ages. She pointed out the black one with the white face that appeared to be protecting the only puppy in the group, almost as an afterthought. We knew the timid little misfit was the perfect fit for our family. We found out later, through the local news, that the breeders were quite the opposite of reputable, which we expect may have explained some of Trusty's initial wariness. One of my favorite memories was the morning after we brought her home. It was as if she came to life. She was surrounded by us three ecstatic kids giving her a milk bone, and her tail was wagging so vigorously the whole bottom half of her body wagged with it as she sneezed with excitement. It was pure happiness for 10-year-old me, and I liked to imagine is was for Trusty too.
By Jenna J4 years ago in Petlife
Chasing Charlie
Chasing Charlie By Elizabeth Bradley “I am the master, I am the master, I AM THE MASTER.” I pound this in my head like a drum, but all that comes out of my mouth while I chase my 130 pound Saint Bernard Charlie is “let her sniff the dog’s butt, let her sniff the dog’s butt.”
By Elizabeth Bradley4 years ago in Petlife
Snakeman
Snakeman by Ann Swann When we lost Droopy to distemper, Mom vowed not to get another puppy. We were not rich, and she’d already spent a whole week’s grocery money at the vet trying to save him. Besides, the sight of our poor little shepherd under her bed, convulsing with fever, would stay with us forever.
By Ann Swann4 years ago in Petlife
My Dog & A Horse
There was this particular period in my life, about a decade ago, where I was in a quiet place of introspection, and chose to largely isolate myself from people. The vast majority of the inevitably necessary company I received was provided by my dog, Dexter. His muted, stoic presence filled the inevitable void dredged by solitude with a warmer, more comforting energy than any human could conjure. The cool thing about dogs is that you don’t feel the need to tirelessly impress them; they’re simple creatures, easy to please, and they don’t talk back.
By Nicholas Pietrowski4 years ago in Petlife
A Bit of Honey
I was never really much of a dog person growing up. It was not because I did not like them, just that I gravitated towards cats more. It was not until meeting a certain brindled beauty that I gained a new appreciation for them. So starts the story of how I met the love of my life.
By A_Skeleton_Speaks4 years ago in Petlife
Miss Mandy
It all started when my mom decided that my brother should have a dog, he didn’t live with us anymore, but he should have a dog at our house for when he came over. This was nothing new to me, at fourteen I had become accustomed to the baby getting whatever he wanted plus more. He had lived with my dad for 3 years and was only 7 at the time. We went down to the shelter to see about adopting a stray, it was cheaper, and it gave a deserving animal a home. They looked at a few different dogs, but she was the first one to connect with the whole family. She was only 3 months old and had been on the street for her whole young life. My mom and her boyfriend decided that she was the one. I got to name her, which my brother was ok with because he was bad at girl names.
By C.T. COLE4 years ago in Petlife