A Tribute to an old friend (or two)

In my lifetime my family has had several dogs. While I miss all of the ones who have passed there are a few who really stick in my mind and heart. One of them was my Dad's dog Dusty. She was a white lab mix he adopted as a puppy from Santa Ynez Humane Society. She got the name Dusty because she was always so happy she would "dust" the shelves at my dad's parts store. I have never known a dog with more personality. She loved to wear sunglasses and was a hit everywhere she went, which was everywhere my dad went. On camping trips to Pismo Beach she would wear his jacket and sunglasses and ride on his quadrunner in front of him. Dusty loved to play with water, whether it was coming out of the end of a hose or in a river or pond. She also enjoyed the snow. My dad would make boots for her out of medical tape and guaze and she would find a snowy hill walk back as far as she could, run towards the hill and flip onto her back to slide down it. Dusty always seemed more human than dog and believe me when I say she was just like a woman. She always had to have the last word. My dad would say something to her and she would grumble back, he would make another comment and she would grumble again. This could go on for hours if you let it. When I was in high school I was involved with F.F.A. I took lambs to the county fair and my dad would bring Dusty up to visit. You know, she would get more attention in her sunglasses than the giant horse would! I will have to go through my pictures and find a good one to post so you can all see her. She passed away at a ripe old age a few years ago. She has been missed greatly. It is impossible to find another like her so my dad hasn't even tried. Losing her was like losing a close family member. Well, I guess you could say she was. I miss you Dusty, I hope you are still keeping it cool in your shades wherever you are.

The other dog that I greatly miss is our Little Guy. He was the first miniature Dachshund my husband and I owned. He was basically our first child. He went everywhere with us. I would carry him around in my jacket to keep him warm. Little Guy helped my raise a couple of orphaned kittens and was such a great helper. On Christmas he would open his own presents and if you weren't fast enough opening yours he would come back and help you. He never tore the paper to shreds though. he would tear it enough to get the present out and then would run off with his present. He was awe had the boys but it turned out that he adored them and always stayed by their side. I had jaw surgery just before Christmas in 2003 and he never left my side while I was recovering. At the age of 11 he developed pnuemonia and was unable to overcome it. We lost our Little Guy on New Years Day 2004.

We now have two wonderful little dogs, Lou and Copper. They each have their own little personalities and while they are the best of friends they are also very different. Lou is more laid back and mellow while Copper seems to think that he is part human. You ask him a question and he starts dancing around , waving his paws and turning his in all directions as though he is trying to tell you something. Lou, while mellow enjoys climbing up onto playsets and going down the slide all by himself. They are lots of fun and I couldn't ask for better dogs.