Charlie
Heidi and Charlie
Seven, the number of cats I've had in my life time. Cat lover is probably how I'd describe myself; however friends often describe our two cats as dogs. They sit, fetch, come, and behave as dogs. After all the comparisons, I slowly became obsessed with adopting a dog. I knew I wanted a shelter dog, to be able to provide a good home to a lost soul. After months and months of begging to go "look," finally I received the answer I was looking for. We came home with Charlie Brown. Charlie Beagle. Beeags. In the last 8 months, he has taught us some of the most heartening lessons one could learn from a dog. We aren't sure of much of his first 3 years, other than he wasn't potty trained, he barked constantly, he never listened, but he always has love and happiness to share. We have learned patience, discipline, and how to think beyond ourselves. We observe his behavior, are careful not to raise long objects, swing our arms, or move things over his head. When he cowers with fear, we teach him not to be scared. Setting limits with a stubborn, instinct driven companion who puts down his paws is rather challenging and terribly ironic but challenges us to find new techniques to accomplish our goals. We have learned to make time in our lives and take pride in our Beagle who no longer pees in the house, barks only occasionally and listens most of the time. Knowing that when I walk in the door from work and say "High-Five Charlie Brown," and get a high-five with a wagging tail, makes me so excited to walk in the front door at the end of the day.