ELIZABETH GOES TO THE DOGS

My daughter has two dogs. The first is a Beagle. In case you’ve never looked it up, a Beagle is one of the three most stubborn of the dog breeds. My friend, a veterinarian of many years, almost hurt himself laughing when we told him that Heather has gotten a Beagle puppy.

Have I mentioned that Heather could teach stubborn to a mule?

However, she and Darwin (the Beagle, what else?) reached an agreement. Darwin wouldn’t pee on the floor if Heather didn’t use “leash corrections” inside the house. Darwin is the kind of darling Beagle that people walked out of their houses to coo over when Heather took her for a walk. (Seems like everyone has had ONE Beagle. Haven’t met any who had a SECOND one, though. They’re adorable and not for the average person to raise.)

A few years down the road, a new dog was introduced into the household. Sydney was my son’s dog, a much-loved pound rescue. Brought home at five weeks old, she grew to be a rather large, quite elegantly formed lion-colored dog with large, erect ears, a black eye mask, and a beautiful pacing gait. Such was her style that everyone wanted to know what breed she was.

One hundred per cent pure mutt, that’s what. Affectionately known to one and all as “the dingo.”

Unfortunately, Sydney’s experiences before or during the pound stay had shattered the dog’s confidence. Or perhaps she never had any to begin with. In any case, when Matt’s son became a toddler fast enough to chase and corner the now-sixty-five-pound dog, she would bare her teeth and raise her ruff in warning.

Have you ever tried to teach an active, curious, intelligent toddler to leave something alone?

The same veterinarian who had laughed himself sick over Heather’s choice of dogs watched Sydney interact with adult and sub-adult humans and said bluntly, “Sydney should never be left alone with a child. If there are two children, there should be two adults. Three children, three adults. And no matter what you do, someday she’ll bite a kid.”

After a few months of soul-searching and tears, Sydney moved in with Darwin and Heather. (Nobody got bitten or even scared, but some things can’t be changed. Fear-biting is one of them.) The Beagle had never met a kid she didn’t love; Sydney had never met a kid she wasn’t afraid of. Fortunately, kids weren’t a problem at Heather’s house.

That was five years ago. As the years went by, Darwin and Sydney came to be companions; both are nuts about the human who spoils them so delightfully. The scent hound (that would be the Beagle) and the sight hound (that would be the elegant mutt) couldn’t be more different, and each has a great life.

The point of all this?

Absolutely none.

I just smile whenever I think about those two very different canines living the good life with Heather.

Smiles are good.

Have any pet smiles you want to share?