We have a sign by our front door that reads, “Home Sweet Home…It’s a three ring Circus in here…Home is what you make it.” We make our home a little loud and a little crazy and a lot full of love. The more people and dogs here, the more I like it! My favorite times are when we have way too many people for the size of our house, and everyone is talking and laughing.
This weekend we were blessed to have Ashley, Bobby and their dogs visiting us. Phil, a mastiff-lab-border collie mix, has spent the last couple weeks with us while his brother, Rory, a lab-weimaraner mix, has been recovering from surgery. Phil was super happy to see his brother and parents, but he has a blast playing with our dogs (and Don) in our backyard. Phil would make a great outfielder, and loves to play ball all the time.
Rory, at almost 90 pounds, is the biggest of all five dogs and is also the youngest. He is seven months old and came from a huge litter of pups in Texas. I guess all things are bigger in Texas including their lab mix puppies! He is as laid back as Phil is ambitious, and is happiest when snuggling with his mom on the couch.
The leader of the pack is Bernie, who has no idea that he is a small dog. This little one-eyed rescue pup is fierce and sweet, and he rules the roost. He tells everyone what to do, and lets them know about it if they do something he doesn’t approve of. He can be slightly BAD…shhhh don’t say that out loud because he knows what it means. Bernie is the star of the children’s books that I am going to write. I’ve had the ideas for the stories for a couple of years now, and have been told it’s time to get them written and published!
Spike is Don’s dog. He is supposed to be a pug-beagle mix, but the vet says he also has some English bulldog in there too. Spike is Bernie’s backup when he is on guard duty, and is always willing to chase after and bark at squirrels when they try to get into our yard. Goofy is Spike’s middle name and he makes us laugh every day.
Last, but not least, is our princess puppy, sweet Bella. Bella was rescued a few years ago by a very brave, and heroic older woman who knew Bella was being abused by her family. This wonderful woman took her away from them, gave her the best veterinary care, and then let our family adopt her. We gave Bella a safe spot on our couch and told her she will never be abused ever again. Even so, she is still a little shy and prefers to be on her blanket away from the action.
While twenty paws might be overwhelming for some folks, we love these pups and can’t imagine our home being quiet, un-circuslike, and without a surplus of puppy love.