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| Name: |
Charlie
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Age: |
Three years old
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| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Terrier mix |
| Home: |
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, USA |
Besides
being my dog, I can't say that Charlie does anything out of the
ordinary. But I can go on and on about his part in my life and how much
he means to me. He just turned three this fall, so of course he got a
party and treats!
Like most dogs, he is happy to see me when I come home. He hears me
pull up and is waiting at the top of the stairs when I open the door.
And like most terriers (he's a Scottie/Westie mix), he's full of energy
and loves to run and play. Then he comes bounding down to greet me and
won't stop jumping until I bend down and let him give me a kiss hello.
Occasionally though, he must be really comfy cause I catch him curled up
on my bed snuggling with the pillows. Every morning, we have
this ritual where the alarm goes off at 5:30, but I don't actually get
out of bed until 5:45. So when the alarm goes off, he stretches at the
foot of my bed, then ambles over and settles himself next to me until
it's time to get out of bed. I never realized how much I loved that
little guy until the day I came home from work at lunch time like
normal, but wasn't feeling very well. Normally we would take a little
walk or play some fetch in the house. But that day, I just needed to
lay down and take a quick nap. Instead of whining to go out or play, he
just layed down and nestled in the little crook at my chest as I lay on
my side.
I'm currently working on a Master's degree and it takes up a lot of my
time. And I live in an apartment with no yard for him to play in. So
at least on Saturday or Sunday (both if I can swing it) I try to take
him to the dog park to run around. After an hour or two, or whenever
he's had his fill, I ask if it's ok for us to go home so I can do
homework. And he just looks at me for a second, then starts wandering
over to the gate to leave. His "human vocabulary" just astounds me.
When I come home at lunch, and it's time for me to leave, I just tell
him I have to go back to work and he's looks at me like "Ok mom, see you
in a couple hours." Of course, if I come home after work and have to
leave again, that's a very different story. Then it's not okay.
I've also never had anyone or anything make me feel as guilty as he
does. One day last summer, I was in the middle of a very good,
Can't-put-it-down book. But it was his play time so I was throwing the
ball in my apartment because of the rain outside. After about a dozen
tosses, he dropped the ball halfway and went to the kitchen to get a
drink. So I picked up my book to get a page or two in (I honestly
thought he was taking a longer break), and he came bounding out of the
kitchen and grabbed the ball, heading toward me. He got to where I was
sitting, saw the book, dropped the ball next to me and sulked away.
Never again have I let anything interrupt our play time, even when he
does need a rest.
My Charlie is my world, and I can't imagine him not in it. A friend of
mine once asked, "What if you meet a guy that doesn't like dogs?" My
response was immediate: "Guy goes, Charlie stays!" Thanks for letting
me brag a little about this incredibly important part of my life. (My
friends and family are all tired of hearing about him!)
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