Animals

Animals are such a big part of our lives in our family.  I was raised to believe that animals have a place.  My mom always liked having pets but they were put in a place where she couldn't get too close.  I think they were so poor when she was little that they didn't have pets as pets, they were farm animals who had jobs and sometimes got butchered and eaten.  So you didn't get close.  My dad was a little different, he loved pets.  But, being married to mom who was more practical he got close and loved them but they were not put at the same level as humans.

My husband, Karl, is similar to my dad in that the animals love him as much as he does them.  There is just a connection that he has with them.  It's funny how animals can tell who truly loves them.  When he meets a new animal he waits to see how they will react to him and through instinct he just connects with them. 

We have two German Shepherds, three male black cats and three goats.  Our German Shepherds are so special.  The female - Koki, is my husband's dog.  She bonded with him the moment she met him.  It was so funny, he walked into the yard where the puppies were and just stood there.  The boys and I were walking around and picking up puppies, we knew we wanted a female and there were plenty to pick from.  Karl was just standing there, Koki waddled over and plopped right down on his foot.  It was love at first sight for both of them.  Of course, she was the most expensive one there because of her disposition and her color, but there was no denying him or her.

Koki is a dominant female, for those of you who have owned a dominate female you know what I mean.  She wants to rule the roost.  I had never lived with a dog like this before.  She tries to take my place in the household.  I'm not an extremely dominate or pushy person but I have had to be with her.  I often tell my husband she is just waiting for me to not be here anymore so she can take over.  I have to let her know every once in a while that I am boss, you should see the looks she gives me. 

I decided that I needed my own German Shepherd and we couldn't get a female because of Koki and her dominance.  So I started researching breeders and we found this awesome breeder named Amy.  Amy's philosophy about the first 8 weeks matched how we felt about animals.  She interviewed us to decide if a German Shepherd would fit in our household, I guess we passed muster because we got Rocco when he was 8 weeks old.  He is so amazing.  He isn't just my dog, he has a relationship with each of us that is unique.  He is always so happy and so well adjusted.  He has become a family member. 

Now, about Pressing the Pause Button.  Why do animals live such short lives?  We enjoy each of our animals so much.  And, they do each have their own personality.  I listen to people talk about their pets and you can tell how much a part of their lives they are.  I wish that we could pause or just slow down so that we could enjoy them more.  We all go to work and school and about our lives and the animals wait for us to return and spend time with them.  They are so faithful and loving.  I know logically why-because we would be overrun with animals if they lived longer.  We have problems now even with how long they live and the pet population - just go to the Humane Society website and look at how many animals there are without homes.  But emotionally, wouldn't it be grand to have them in our lives for a little longer?
This is my Rocco chillaxing at home.  He's so funny!