Our Best Friends

Dogs.  Said to be mans best friend and to be honest on some days I agree and on others I don't.  We currently have two dogs.  One a beautiful pedigree golden labrador called PAL who is just over 14 year old with arthritis and JOSEPH, a cheeky fox terrier.  Both dogs we inherited from my parents and to cut a very long story short ... we offered to look after PAL one weekend and he hasn't gone home.  Five years later my parents inherit JOSEPH then four years after that my parents bring JOSEPH to the ponderosa and he hasn't gone home since.  


Good thing we like dogs :-)Although I know many people who don't like dogs and I can't see why not. I was bought up in a whanau who always had dogs and like everything, the dogs had a purpose, which in my whanau was hunting and protecting the house.


My grand parents had LOTS of dogs throughout the years with the first dog I remember being my nana pops sausage dog called CHEEKY.  He was beautiful and definitely cheeky.  After he died I remember my grandfather's dog which was a golden labrador called BEAUTY.  She was such a good dog, hunted well, good protector and loved children.  You knew she was a good hunter and did her job well because she lived so long she turned grey and eventually wondered away one day and never returned.  My grandfather told us that that's what animals do when they know they are going to die.  


Last week we thought that was exactly what PAL had done when we discovered he wasn't at home.  I had been home all day and he slept most of the day in the sun but by the time my daughter came home he had gone.  We were desperately driving around a 5 km radius to see if he had fallen into a ditch or something because we knew his arthritis wouldn't get him very far, however no success.  I rang both the Waikato District Council and the Hamilton City Council to see if they had picked him up, but without success.  Because labradors love water, I went to bed that night thinking he wondering into a drain somewhere and was stuck because his arthritis couldn't get him out.  Fair to say I didn't sleep well that night.


In the morning I discovered my daughter had announced on facebook our dog was missing and everyone was concerned about his wellbeing.  Our fears turned into relief when I received a called from the WDC saying they had found him.  Excited I got in the car  to go and pick him up, with thoughts of joy that he was safe, but that quickly disappeared when I got the bill for $340.  WTF???  


Since then PAL has cost another $70 when he was picked up at 10.30 pm .. and JOSEPH $60 when he was nabbed racing cars.  Keep telling yourself it's a good investment I kept saying.  


I don't like tying the dogs up 24/7 or 12/7 for that matter because like all animals, they aren't made to be tied up, but I thought we had to do something or they'll cost us a fortune.  Then I learnt a couple of neighbours had been broken into, so I reminded myself, it is a good investment PLUS they provide hours of entertainment with their strange ways, like rolling into something dead just after you've given them a bath.  Or playing with a honey bee and getting stung.  Or trying seeing them walk through the paddock and then collapse in the water and be contented to stay there forever.


Whatever the reason, our two dogs are the best and I can't wait to see what other adventures they take us on in the future :-)

JOSEPH after he decided to play with a honey bee

PAL deciding he wasn't going any further

Have a great night!!