seal: (Default)
seal ([personal profile] seal) wrote2009-01-05 05:27 pm

For the Dog lovers

I've had a number of dogs in my life who've made a deep impression on me, and I can't really see many common factors between them - except the fact that I loved them, and they were four legged canine carnivores.
I remember Bamse, the angry alpha mutt, shaped as a huge baguette with a plumy tail and a big dog's collie-like head (he was one third collie). He was probably my first dog love, he had an impressively dark Great Dane-bark, disliked children and joggers (representatives of the first group had tormented and tortured him when he was a pup, so that particular antagonism was understandable, but the joggers I think..just pissed him off in general). Bamse was not an easy dog, Christel, my foster mom/sister, who owned him went to all kinds of griefs with him..but he was fiercely smart and loyal and incredibly fun. Odd things about him: he was the only dog I've ever met who loved fireworks. On big holidays with fireworks, Christel always let him out and he was overjoyed equally by the big sparkly ones as by chasing the annoying and noisy crackers. Most other dogs faint or get hyper distressed by fireworks, but not him. He lived to be 18 years old, probably the oldest dog I've personally known.

Another dog to note was my childhood friend Lotta's friendly and chubby Foxterrier Sunday - an adorable and sweet tempered little girl, who most of the time looked like a mini sheep, and whom I once rescued from drowning in a fast moving spring-overflowing creek when I was a teenager.
[livejournal.com profile] kejn also had two dogs I loved over the years, Tanja, the Samoyed, a beautiful lady with an opera voice, who was shy but very patient and sweet natured once you got to know her, and Cassie, the Irish Wolf dog, who was gorgeous and impressive in all sorts of ways - I loved watching her run in the fields, she was like a force of nature.

Other favorite dogs later in my life would include [livejournal.com profile] jennixen's Kerry Blue terrier Axl, who's just the goofiest little goblin of a dog with a great sense of play and humor.

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and the brave and solemn little Italian greyhound Vinnie whom I dogsat many times, but who unfortunately died last year.

It was really great to get to know Nick and Chelsea ([livejournal.com profile] cacodaemonia) in 2007, not only were they awesome people living 5 minutes from me who liked the same rpgs and books as me, but also great animal lovers who decided to adopt two wonderful dogs. And I really did love their dogs, especially Guy the Greyhound, unfortunately I didn't get to spend enough time with these lovely critters, because the work market drove Chelsea and Nick out of Colorado, far away to Kentucky. Recently I learned, that the last of my favorite dogs passed on a week ago. Go read [livejournal.com profile] cacodaemonia's lovely Post about Guy the Greyhound and how he discovered how to become a dog again in the loving hands of really good people.

Anyone who wants to adopt a dog, or who've had dogs will probably be inspired by the read - just don't cry as I did, it will just make your face swell up.

guy the greyhound

[identity profile] toy-of-thought.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
oh my.

Re: guy the greyhound

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
He was such a large personality, I still can't believe he's gone.

[identity profile] birds-hum.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
helllooo, seal.

i love this entry, just wanted to let you know.

i do love me some dogs, too.

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-06 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Guy the Greyhound made me remember why I love dogs just as much as cats, I bet he had that effect on lots of people.

[identity profile] puffpiece.livejournal.com 2009-01-07 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks, I needed a good cry. I'm going to go hug my dogs now.

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-07 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a kind of catharsis to cry when reading a good story about a lovable dog, like her story is. Hug your pups from me too!

[identity profile] denydenydeny.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
do you like amy hempel? if not i bet you would.

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
I haven't read her, can you recommend any particular book of hers?

[identity profile] denydenydeny.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
collected stories! she only writes short stories. a lot about dogs. she's amazing. i only discovered her this year at a reading but everyone in my mfa program is crazy about her. so glad i could introduce you to her.

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
I love myself some short stories, thanks!
I've missed seeing you over in PS. Wanna be friends before LJ goes poof?

[identity profile] denydenydeny.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
sure but i never update.. quit LJ at least a year ago! still. it wd be nice,

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-01-08 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
Every time someone tells me that they quit LJ I feel like such a dork without a life, haha...

[identity profile] jennixen.livejournal.com 2009-01-19 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Anyone who loves dogs or animals is bound to at least sniffle at a story like that. (I cried of course. A lot.)

[identity profile] sealwhiskers.livejournal.com 2009-02-07 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
I cried too, and I knew the dog, he was lovely!