Two of my children ... four-legged that is!!!

I have only one child, a wonderful son. I will probably share all kinds of stories about him later on but this time I am sharing you the stories of my other children... the four-legged ones.

The very first dog that entered in my only child's life was Button, a mutt. She was a combination of a Chihuaua and a poodle and she was just as cute as a button thus named so. We had her for a few years when one night on our way to the store, another four legged creature graced our lives.
My son and I were walking out towards my SUV when down the cul-de-sac was something coming towards us. It was a dog we gathered. So we decided to approach it but then it would run away from us when we were going towards it. But when we would turn our backs to go back to the vehicle, it would walk, almost running towards us. We played this game for a short while then I thought that maybe if I open the vehicle that it would maybe jump in there. And I was right!!! A long haired, smelly, panting doggy jumped right in the vehicle and flopped itself in my son's lap. We looked at each other in amazement. This doggy looked emaciated and so tired and probably so thankful at that moment that finally it found "a place". We went ahead to the store as planned but my son stayed behind in the vehicle with the very still doggy whose only moving body part was the tounge that was panting. When we got back home I carried it in and it basically surrendered itself to us seemingly not caring at what ever happen next as long as it was not out there on the street any longer. I took it straight to the bath tub because I noticed the sand in the vehicle and the trail on the carpet. The dog was covered with not only sand but fleas... from head to paws. I gave it the longest bath ever. When it was all dried and clean, we fed it some chicken and rice and it ate and ate and drunk and drunk. My son made it a bed in the corner of the living room and there it slept the entire night and half of the day after.

While it was asleep that night, we drove over to our public library and research the breed. And she was a Llasa Aphso. We decided to name her Zipper to sort of match Button. As the days go by, we learned how perfect this doggy is ... so unassuming, so calm, so loyal, so devoted, so trained, so loving, so patient and I can go on and on. We wondered how the owner can toss her out on the street. She didn't have any collar and she had some wounds on her that were signs of physical abuse. Shortly after she came into our lives, our Button was failing her health --- CANCER invaded her. It was so heart breaking. My son and I, you could say became selfish at the end of her life because we hung on to her even though she was suffering. Finally, my nurse's heart told me to let go and we did. My son and I cried the minute we came to the decision that she would be put to sleep and all the way down to the animal hospital then back home and many more days after that. Zipper sure had missed her.

On my birthday, I decided to go to the animal shelter and adopt another doggy. I fell in-love with a screwny looking doggy but so so cute --- a peach poodle, a boy. He was found on the street and had been in the pound for quite a while. My son was so happy to see him when I brought him home and he named him Puffy because his hair then or even now would get all puffed up when ungroomed. He is a total opposite of Zipper but loving in his own way as well. As calm, quiet, and patient as Zipper is, Puffy is exactly the wiry, hyper, loud doggy. In a way they compliment each other's personality. Zipper would give Puffy a growl when he gets a little too much of anything. Now, they are inseparable.

Zipper was already four years old when she adopted us and now she is at least 16 years old. Puffy was two years old when I adopted him and now he is 12 years of age. He became Zipper's eyes and ears as Zipper approaches old age. They are my shadows. They pretty much run the household and I became a mere tenant ... hehehe!!!

I take them in my morning walk and that is one big task only because they get all the attention of every walker we come across. We end up stopping many times to get their pats on the heads and whatever other cutesy words awarded to them. And they love all the attentions.

Now, as the human mother, I hate to even think that my doggies are getting to the end of their doggy lives. Both are pretty healthy and yet their ages are in the advanced stage soooo.

One thing I know, whatever happen, I am so thankful they came into my life. They are my companion now that my son is out of my household.