I’ve had dogs as long as I can remember. Back in the day, the dogs lived outside the house. It didn’t seem odd then, but if I could go back and change it, I surely would. Looking through an old photo album, I found some of these early pictures of me with some of our family dogs.
According to the back of the photo, I’m 14 months old in this picture. Already drawn to dogs…
21 months old here, hanging with my best pal, Penny. I vaguely remember this girl. She was super sweet and I don’t remember her wandering off too far. But then again, I was only 21 months old. I don’t think dog-wandering was on my radar at that age.
Ah, sweet Trooper, the gigantic Collie. When you’re only two, a Collie’s a big dog!
Already using treats to train! This is sweet Lady, one of my dad’s “huntin’ dawgs,” from back in the day. I’m a bit over three years old here.
Sweet Cookies, I do miss this dog. I’m very grown up here — eight years old already — and I vividly remember Cookies. He’d wait for me every day when the school bus went down my street. I’d sit on the lawn and feed him the crust from my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We were the best of friends for a very long time.
I miss them all. I apologize to them, too, for their lifestyle. Back then, that’s the way all the dogs lived, but now I feel terrible that they lived outdoors. They had great veterinary care, and we made sure they were always warm and well cared for. But still…
I learned something from every dog I had, but these early experiences helped shape my love and passion for working with dogs. I’m forever indebted to those dogs of long ago.
How fortunate that you have these old photos to look back on. We had a dog for a short while when I was growing up, a beagle mix named Penny (must have been a popular dog name back then), and I feel awful that she lived in our garage. Thankfully, she didn’t have to endure us for very long because we ended up giving her away after a year or so–we just didn’t know anything about keeping a pet, much less actual training. It makes me feel a bit better when I hear you say that that’s just how things were back then. We didn’t know any better. Of course, I can’t imagine keeping my dog in a garage or in the backyard now–she belongs in the house with us.
Change is good.
You were lucky to have so many pups in your life as a child.
I love this post! We had no dogs when I was a kid (cats, sorry) but my Dad was in love with a black lab next door named Sue, to whom he fed raw almonds from our trees and loved on through the fence. I’m sure Sue lived outside as well. My first dog was at age 46 when I fell in love with a small Golden Retriever puppy, provisionally but appropriately named Runtley. Runtley became Spencer, and he became my life’s heart-dog. And he died at age 4 of lymphoma. We now volunteer for a Golden rescue organization out west, I am passionate about dog-and-human relationships, and Rex, age 4 1/2 shares our life and love. I wish I had the “I loved dogs when I was aged 2” story, but better late than never. I always learn when I read your writing. Thank you so much for what you do.
And when are you opening a branch office out here?
Jeanne