Must Love Dogs...

I'm feeling that I at least owe my followers an uplift from last weeks emotional roller coaster posting - and I'm doing fine, by the way - and since Kahlua is at the vet with John right now emptying our bank account, let's pick on her.


Getting married later in life, I immediately started going through my personal and biological checklist.  Married.  Check.  Babies - not check. Hmmmmm - maybe we needed a test run.


I have always loved chocolate labs.  There is just something sweet and endearing about their big paws, their soft flopping ears and then there's the whole chocolate thing.  When a co-worker mentioned that her neighbors dog just had a litter, I couldn't convince my husband quickly enough to "just go and look."  I immediately received the eye brow raise, because everyone knows you don't just go to LOOK at puppies.


Six weeks later we brought her home - all 8 pounds of squiggly, squirmy puppy fat with over sized paws, ears and a slight wall-eye going.  Cute!  We named her "Kahlua Lolly."


Kahlua was a naughty puppy.  She figured out how to pull rolls of toilet paper off the holder in the bathroom, spreading it throughout the house.  She chewed the back out of one of the chairs in the basement.  She religiously ate the tassels off of friends shoes when they visited.  She pooped EVERYWHERE.  She ate the liners out of my boots, shredded carpet, nibbled peoples toes, destroyed a bobble head in my car that had vexed her for weeks - you name it, she did it.  After reading Marley, I almost believed the book was based on Kahlua!


But - though it all - she was lovable, adorable, perceptive, good natured, easy going - everything you would want a dog to be - and naughty to boot.  


Kahlua is now 10+.  She is still naughty - she's just more clever about it these days.  She eases through the changes in our family dynamic with no challenges what so ever. Okay - the cats kind of freaked her out for a week and she wouldn't make eye contact, but in general - the world is easy-breezy-lemon-peezy for Kahlua.  We should all be so lucky to go through life this way!


Words of wisdom - because at some point I should make a point in this posting...

• Approach life as if you were a dog.  Wag more.  Bark less.  Greet those important to you as if you haven't seen them for ages and they are the best friend you have. 
• If there are bones, take the largest.
• If there is steak on the counter, figure out how to get up there and enjoy it!  Life is short and for dogs it goes 7x faster than for people!
• When at the vet, shed lots and attempt to hide behind your person.  If you can't see them, they can't see you.
• Don't make eye contact with kitties - they will steal your soul.
• The "scary floor" can be conquered - it is just easier with your person walking next to you.
• The bed belongs to the dog.  This is non-negotiable.
• Kids are an excellent source of food.  Embrace them immediately upon arrival in your home.  At the very least, lick their face - they often leave extra food there!
• The beach rocks - no matter what the season.
• When you see a squirrel - run toward the closest tree - you can almost catch it with this strategy.
• Life is short - enjoy every minute, every sunny spot on the rug, every run on the beach, every bone and every tassel on visitors shoes!

If you don't love dogs, you won't survive at our house, and Kahlua proved to be excellent learning ground for parenthood.  Katrina hasn't eaten the tassels off of any shoes - that I am aware of - but many of the other things...


Coming soon - Koko is nuts - tales (or tails) of dog number 2!


Peace out!