On September 20, 1997, we met Maggie at a shelter. Her name there was Frisky, and she was everything we ever thought we'd like in a dog. She was friendly and happy and energetic and would play fetch with us and we thought she was just perfect. Sadly, the shelter was closing for the night, and we had to wait until the next day to bring her home. So we went to the pet store and bought her all kids of things- a collar, a leash, dog food, a bed, dishes for food and water and some toys.
When we got her home, we realized that she had tricked us. Yes, she was beautiful and friendly and happy and energetic (boy was she ever energetic!), but she no longer played Fetch or Catch. Instead she played Bonk and Chase. (Bonk is played by letting the ball hit you in the head instead of catching it. Chase is played by running with other dogs who are playing Catch, just for the love of running.) Even though she tricked us, she was still wonderful.
She taught us so many things that first year. How to turn wooden spoons into toothpicks, how fun a squeaky toy can be if you chew on it while laying on your back, how squirrels and crows really REALLY need to be barked at, where all the dog parks are and how to get out of them, that round worms look like when you puke them up.
She got to be on tv once, when the tv crew came to the dog park to film the dogs enjoying the day and she was the only one who was running around. She LOVED to run. She ran faster than greyhounds (she ran with several of them at the dog park). She would hunker down and go so fast. It was thrilling to watch. Seriously. She liked to run with other dogs who were running. She liked to run with birds who flew across our yard. She even once ran with a helicopter that fly across the sky over our yard. She was a good runner. When Milo came to live with us, Maggie taught him how much fun running was, and they would wrestle and run all over the yard and in the house and it was so funny we'd laugh until our sides hurt watching them play.
She liked to be petted hard so she could feel it. And she would move if you were petting her wrong so that you were petting her where she wanted you to. And if you scratched her just right on her back, she did a little dance with her back legs. Her fur was so soft, especially on her ears. Her tail was usually curled up, touching her back, or wagging.
She liked to run in the water about chest high, but didn't like to swim. Although, one day, when Dave and I went for a boat ride, she swam out to the boat and crawled in and got to go for a boat ride, too and loved it. If we had been able to ride in boats all the time, she would have loved it. She was a terrible car rider. She'd bark and whine and talk to us the whole time. I think she was trying to make us go faster. And if we drove past a dog, she would be even louder. I think she just wanted to drive.
She was good with the kids. When they first came home, she didn't want anything to do with them. But when she realized they were staying, she'd check on them at night and come get me if they were crying. She'd let them pet her for a bit and when she'd had enough, she'd just get up and walk away.
She would check on everyone and check the backyard many times a day and several times each night. She had a set route she went on and you could hear her checking on the kids, checking on Milo, checking all the rooms, going outside, sniffing around, and then coming back in every night.
She liked to sleep on the hot tub cover during the day. And if we were in the hot tub, she would let me give her a sporty do, even though I think she was laughing at me when she let me do that. She had a good sense of humor for a dog.
She was an awesome dog. We loved her so much. We thought she was injured from when she was attacked by crows last month, but a few days ago we found out that she had bone cancer. We spoiled her rotten her last two days. We'll miss her so much.
On September 20, 1997, we met Maggie at a shelter. Her name there was Frisky, and she was everything we ever thought we'd like in a dog. She was friendly and happy and energetic and would play fetch with us and we thought she was just perfect. Sadly, the shelter was closing for the night, and we had to wait until the next day to bring her home. So we went to the pet store and bought her all kids of things- a collar, a leash, dog food, a bed, dishes for food and water and some toys.
When we got her home, we realized that she had tricked us. Yes, she was beautiful and friendly and happy and energetic (boy was she ever energetic!), but she no longer played Fetch or Catch. Instead she played Bonk and Chase. (Bonk is played by letting the ball hit you in the head instead of catching it. Chase is played by running with other dogs who are playing Catch, just for the love of running.) Even though she tricked us, she was still wonderful.
She taught us so many things that first year. How to turn wooden spoons into toothpicks, how fun a squeaky toy can be if you chew on it while laying on your back, how squirrels and crows really REALLY need to be barked at, where all the dog parks are and how to get out of them, that round worms look like when you puke them up.
She got to be on tv once, when the tv crew came to the dog park to film the dogs enjoying the day and she was the only one who was running around. She LOVED to run. She ran faster than greyhounds (she ran with several of them at the dog park). She would hunker down and go so fast. It was thrilling to watch. Seriously. She liked to run with other dogs who were running. She liked to run with birds who flew across our yard. She even once ran with a helicopter that fly across the sky over our yard. She was a good runner. When Milo came to live with us, Maggie taught him how much fun running was, and they would wrestle and run all over the yard and in the house and it was so funny we'd laugh until our sides hurt watching them play.
She liked to be petted hard so she could feel it. And she would move if you were petting her wrong so that you were petting her where she wanted you to. And if you scratched her just right on her back, she did a little dance with her back legs. Her fur was so soft, especially on her ears. Her tail was usually curled up, touching her back, or wagging. 
She liked to run in the water about chest high, but didn't like to swim. Although, one day, when Dave and I went for a boat ride, she swam out to the boat and crawled in and got to go for a boat ride, too and loved it. If we had been able to ride in boats all the time, she would have loved it. She was a terrible car rider. She'd bark and whine and talk to us the whole time. I think she was trying to make us go faster. And if we drove past a dog, she would be even louder. I think she just wanted to drive.
She was good with the kids. When they first came home, she didn't want anything to do with them. But when she realized they were staying, she'd check on them at night and come get me if they were crying. She'd let them pet her for a bit and when she'd had enough, she'd just get up and walk away.
She would check on everyone and check the backyard many times a day and several times each night. She had a set route she went on and you could hear her checking on the kids, checking on Milo, checking all the rooms, going outside, sniffing around, and then coming back in every night. 
She liked to sleep on the hot tub cover during the day. And if we were in the hot tub, she would let me give her a sporty do, even though I think she was laughing at me when she let me do that. She had a good sense of humor for a dog. 
She was an awesome dog. We loved her so much. We thought she was injured from when she was attacked by crows last month, but a few days ago we found out that she had bone cancer. We spoiled her rotten her last two days. We'll miss her so much.
3 comments:
:( Made me teary. Sweet Maggie, glad I got to know her.
This is beautiful. You made me cry. Maggie was such a sweet dog and dearly loved. She helped me know that big dogs are okay.
What a beautiful dog, and she sounds like a sweet, wonderful soul. You guys know how to bring out the best in your four-legged family members.
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