"... and your little dog, too!"
"... and your little dog, too!"
I see old movies with dogs and old photos with dogs, and it’s oddly touching and moving. So much intense love and care on their part, such a desire to please, so little remembered for most, such a brief moment under the sun. It makes me think of all mine that have gone before me, and I hope they were held in the high regard that all of mine have been. Their time with us is too short, just way too short. Such a rarity in the world, that sort of bond. Not unusual at all with a beloved dog, though.
I was about four when I saw Wizard of Oz. I said then that one day I would have a Cairn, too. What amazed me about Toto wasn’t his tricks or scruffy look but his courage. He wasn’t afraid of the flying monkeys or the witch even when they were so much bigger than him. As a small child, that type of courage amazed me. About seven years ago, I got my Cairn... a wheaten colored one that we named Kenny. Courageous he was, too. Not afraid of anything but thunderstorms. Killer of mice and flies, lover of children and my constant companion. His courage was tested about a year ago when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He didn’t mind the two injections a day or even when he went blind. Last week, MY courage was tested when he became ketotic and the vet felt he had also developed Cushings disease. I faced the flying monkeys and the witch of my childhood and made the decision not to have my courageous little Cairn suffer anymore. Joe 6 pack and Salamander got me through all my crying jags and for that... I will always love them. This Wednesday, we will venture to a breeder of Cairns. We’ll meet a little boy Cairn about 14 weeks old that is defined as “courageous, loving and not afraid of anything”. I think till the Good Lord calls me home, I will always have a Cairn.