pets

A Love So Sweet, A Life So Complete

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” —Roger Caras

Dogs Family Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Our family

Look at these two munchkins.

Dogs are wonderful teachers.

They teach us so much about embracing and loving their differences.

One is energetic and practically bounces like a bunny. He races and slides on our wood floors and would make a wonderful addition to a roller derby team. He’s stubborn, willful, and barks his impatience. While he enjoys an occasional cuddle, he seems to prefer exploring on his own.

Our older boy prefers a long nap over playtime and he’s so incredibly patient with the little. He lived with his first human owners for 8 years before being surrendered to a shelter. Understandably, the big guy suffers from separation anxiety and doesn’t like for me to be out of his sight. He even puts up with our endless walks to help him slim down to his healthy weight just because he wants to be with me. He howls, a long mournful wail, when we leave him alone. But he’s only barked a few times.

Dogs make our lives better.

Dogs Make Our Life Better Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

They add zest and joy and sparkle to our days. They give us a reason to get up out of our chairs and go for a walk. You might have just scolded or stepped on them (as in my case with the little), but they have short memories. Dogs give wet, sloppy kisses and dish out love without conditions.

What about you? Is your life better because of a dog?

Just Say Yes! Rescue one or two…

/ Dora Hiers / 15 Comments

Just say yes to rescue!

So, you guys probably remember we lost our beloved Bruiser around Halloween last year.

We brought him home when he was a 3-month-old pup, and he lived to the age of thirteen. That crazy rascal brought us so much joy! I was beyond devastated with his passing and vowed that we would never get another dog. How could I possibly love and lose another best friend? It hurt heart-deep.

“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.” —Dean Koontz

Fast forward a few months. Months filled with…quiet. Oh my goodness, y’all, so much quiet. You see, I’m a writer and I sit over my laptop pretty much all day every day. I need quiet to write, but that eerie silence drove me crazy. Didn’t take long for me to realize I missed the companionship of a dog. Missed the click of nails across the hardwood, following me around the house. Missed the snoring behind my desk, the sweet face that pleaded to go for a ride or for a walk at the park. Took me a lot longer to confess that to hubby. lol.

Before I worked up the courage to tell him I wanted another dog, I ventured to an animal shelter.

Maybe just seeing a bunch of them would stuff that desire for a dog right back into the past. Ha! Big mistake, in the kindest, most truthful way. All those sweet dogs sitting pretty at the front of their kennel or jumping, begging to be chosen. Most barked or rubbed against the fencing, hoping for a human touch. Oh, that I could take them all home! (Well, most of them 🙂 ) The dog in the next to the last kennel caught my attention. He barely lifted his head from the bed. Enough to send me a message with those sad brown eyes. I’m not a puppy. I’m old and chubby. You’re not going to pick me, so just do us both a favor and walk on by. 

Yeah. The receptionist had specifically mentioned Quaszar, an eight-year-old black lab who was surrendered with his mama, both severely overweight and raised on table scraps, because the owners couldn’t take care of them anymore. And I recall my breath hitching at the eight years old part. A senior dog? Definitely not! I’d get all attached and then he’d die!

A few weeks later my heart finally spilled over to hubby.

He was totally on board, but he wanted another puppy. I agonized for weeks about whether to get another Golden Retriever. We knew and loved the breed, but would I always compare the puppy to Bruiser? The exorbitant prices for a golden puppy (over $1,000!) took that off the table for us, and eventually we found a tan and white mixed Lab puppy to rescue. Born on New Year’s Eve, Bolder would be ready to come home in a month. We were so excited to meet him! What do you think? Isn’t he a cutie?

Rescue Lab Puppy Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Bolder, our Lab puppy (credit for image unknown)

But that sad image of Quaszar wouldn’t let go of me.

Didn’t he deserve a chance to live out his life in a forever home? He’d been in the shelter since November. What if no one adopted him? Would he live the rest of his life there? Somehow I convinced hubby just to go meet him. As you can tell from the picture, the handsome dude must’ve left a lasting imprint on hubby’s heart too. lol.

Lab rescue Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Quaszar, our handsome boy. So happy to go home!

Looks like we’ll be a two-dog family for a while. No more quiet house, and I’m okay with that. Oh, and we shortened his name to Que. Of course. ❤

Could you say no to that face?

Boundaries? What Boundaries?

/ Dora Hiers

For those of you who joined us recently, this is Bruiser, our 10 1/2 year old Golden Retriever. Yes, I know…isn’t he adorable? Add mischievous and protective and jealous…you get the idea. But, he’s a wonderful companion and a great watch dog. Although he’s mostly inside, nobody steps foot into our yard without us knowing about it.

A few weeks ago, hubby noticed Bruiser edging closer to the neighbor’s yard, so we knew the collar battery for the electric fence must’ve croaked. I wasn’t too worried. We’ve lived in the house for almost eight years, with an electric fence the entire time. Since the initial training period and a couple times trying to follow hubby to the mailbox, Bruiser never wanders outside his boundaries.

But, I ordered the new battery anyway because the brute’s much bigger and heavier than our neighbor’s two small children. He’s a bit, um, exuberant with kids (I don’t even allow him alone with our grandkids) and I was more worried about him hurting them accidentally than him running into the road. As hubby says, Bruiser wouldn’t wander too far from his food dish.

The day after I ordered the battery, Bruiser made it all the way to the neighbor’s swingset. See that big tree in the middle? That’s the edge of our property.

Seriously? With a half acre of his own to play in and living here all this time, Bruiser still tests his boundaries?

Seriously? All this I’ve given you to enjoy and you still test your boundaries? How many times has God whispered those same words to me? Gulp…

Have you no respect for me?
    Why don’t you tremble in my presence?
I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline
    as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
    but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
    They have turned away and abandoned me.
They do not say from the heart,
    ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,
for he gives us rain each spring and fall,
    assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ ~Jer 5:22-24 NLT