26th August is International Dog Day. It was initially created to raise awareness about the number of dogs that are currently in rescue centres, the numbers of which have sadly risen.
You may have gathered from my column that I’m a big dog lover, which is useful as I have a very big dog! He doesn’t realise that he’s oversize though. In his mind he’s the size of a Chihuahua and is constantly amazed that he can’t fit underneath the coffee table.
He is our second German Shepherd, and when we lost our first, it broke my heart. Beautiful, obedient, loyal and loving – she was my golden girl. When she passed over the rainbow bridge, I swore that I’d never, EVER, get another dog as no-one could ever replace her and I couldn’t bear the pain of losing one again.
Six months later we got Barkley.
What can I say? Our house had felt empty without a dog. No greeting at the door with a wagging tail, or furry cuddles on the sofa. Our house was not a home.
There were moments of initial regret though. As a puppy he was hard work. He would utilise my feet as chew toys, his favourite hobby was climbing the furniture, like some tiny, furry base jumper, and we had to stack anything we cared about above waist height so the tiny destroyer couldn’t get at it. Sometimes, even ourselves!
Oh, how I missed my golden girl.
These days he’s a lot calmer, thankfully, but we still put things of value out of reach, although now it’s at shoulder height, due to his size, and only so he doesn’t knock them over. His favourite hobby is snoozing, and while he enjoys walkies, he will sometimes just put the brakes on and lie down if he wants to. It’s not easy trying to drag a 50kg dog behind you on a lead I tell you.
But you know what? I wouldn’t be without him. He’s my big clumsy, gentle, handsome, loving boy and I adore him. He greets me with a wagging tail, he loves a belly rub and gives me unconditional love. He is my world.
So, my point is this: dogs are great. If you put the work into them with training, socialisation and the proper love and care, they will give you all they have in return. In my opinion, every day should be International Dog Day.
Sherry x
