My love for animals has been mediocre, growing up we ALWAYS had animals (my mother was always the child bringing home the strays and it never ended) but they were just there, I never fell in love with them, helped take care of them and went about my business. Through my life we have owned dogs, iguanas, turtles, fish, an African Grey Parrot, (who could say "Maria, Maria shut up," I think he was getting me confused with my brother)and Cockatiels. Then they moved to a farm and acquired horses, a donkey, goats, sheep, and chickens I think that's it. So while I have been absolutely surrounded by animals they just really were never my thing.
Except for somewhere in my adolescence I fell in love with Labs. I had a friend whom I picked up for school and dropped off after school. She had a Lab named Bucky and he was so cool, he was older so he was more calm, but his demeanor was mellow and friendly all at the same time. Somewhere in there I decided I would have a dog like this someday.
My mom now breeds labs, a breed we wouldn't have owned if I hadn't told them for years that they were awesome dogs, I encountered more Labs after Bucky and it was confirmed they were still awesome! We got a Lab/Golden Retriever mix and he was amazing and we aquired a Chocolate Lab and then a female Lab and that's it done. We are currently on our 3rd litter of puppies, keeping one from the last litter. I should mention the reason we kept Luna (adequately named for 2 reasons, she is white like the color of the moon which is Luna in Spanish aaaaannnnd she is looney! Looney Luna) is because she had a little skin tag on her ear and it had been mentioned a few times by customers so feeling sorry that no one would want her for something so stupid we kept her. Her ear grew and the skin tag is gone by the way. We meant to keep one from that litter so it's not like we got suckered in. Now on this 3rd litter all dogs must go! Except for one problem, the runt got sick. After a couple of weeks of having less of an appetite than his piglet brothers and sisters and being lazier than the rest mom took him to the vet.
He had Ehrlichia, contracted from a tick?! Either he got bitten or his mama got bitten, but he got started on antibiotics right away. He was so sad and it made me want to cry every time I saw how small he was in compared to his siblings. He somehow became my baby. I told my mom regardless if he made it or not, he was mine. I think somewhere in the back in my mind I must've thought he wasn't going to make it because surely I didn't voluntarily sign up for this! Oh but I did. I named him Hercules because he needed a strong name. And waited a few days to see if the medicine was working. He slept a lot, I carried him a lot, because he wasn't supposed to get tired or stressed and he slept in my parents' room. Well almost a week later he is all puppy, and a spoiled one at that. I am cleaning up messes, cutting up Rotissere Chicken, heating it up and putting it in his bowl. I am sitting in the floor with a stuffed toy dragon pretending I am attacking so he will "slay the dragon." Yes I signed up for this. He seriously wears you out. Hercules is mine, he will live with me while I live at home and then after I grow up he will leave with me. Justin is excited eventhough he wants to change his name. But he has been called everything in the world but his name the last few days . . . little bit, munchkin, dumpling, scuttle butt, and my baby so he can stay Hercules because I am sure when he isn't as freakin cute anymore his name will most definitely evolve.
I'm a dog owner and I couldn't be happier!
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