A Dog Can Be Anything and Is Everything

Look at that face. Sure, she smiled and held me close, but she also separated me from my birth mom and siblings. Fear gripped me the day we drove in the car to my forever home. I knew enough to go calmly because I’d heard how important it is to make a good first impression, but I remember when they snapped this picture. Then strangers, Mom and Dad that’s what I call them now, had just picked me up and whisked me away from everything I had ever known. Unsure if I could trust this woman, I remember her smile warmed my tummy and my head fit perfectly in the crook of her neck.

Back then, I didn’t know what to think about my new necklace. The shape of a bone seemed appropriate for a dog’s choker, but I didn’t understand the significance at the time. My parents read it to me and explained that the words told everyone my name, Juggernaut, and my new address. When they latched it around my neck mom said, “Now, it is official. You are a Zieglmeier.”

The man winked at me, patted my head and said, “Juggernaut, you will get used to wearing a collar.” To be honest, I did. In fact, after a while I forgot it even existed until they removed it during a bath. That was the first time I realized the importance of that little trinket. It connected me to my new family, my new home.

All my fears faded when we pulled into the driveway where the rest of the family waited. The very second, I saw the faces of those two little girls I understood my mission in life. During the first year, my size made me their toy to enjoy. We would snuggle on the couch and watch Frozen. Sometimes, they would pretend they were the princesses, Elsa and Anna. They would call me Sven, the loveable reindeer in the movie, so I guess I fit the part of being their friend.

The girls treated me great, but I my heart always wondered if they loved me as much as I loved them. Sure, I felt loved because they walked me daily, included me in family activities and planned a party on my first birthday. However, I had one secret wish that I desired more than anything. I didn’t have the words to tell them, so I kept it to myself and simply cherished our time together.

As their self-appointed protector, I made sure to keep them safe. I watched the girls get on the school bus each morning and waited on the lawn for them to return. I slept with them, usually on their bed, but when they camped outside, I guarded the tent. They were, actually still are, my everything.

However, I remained unsure how they felt about me. I wondered if I was more than a friend and play toy until my dear Anna came home from school one day and showed me a picture that she drew of the two of us. My heart swelled two sizes when I learned she thought about me at school, told her friends about me, and liked to be near me. See the bright, red heart in the picture? Yes, she loves me.

The year, I got my first Halloween costume, my secret wish came true. I officially joined the family. We dressed up as the characters from Sandlot. We made a great team and everyone at the party loved our outfits. Some said mine was the best.

Though that party was awesome, my favorite Halloween costumes included the girls. Everyone dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz. Our outfits showed off Mom’s creativity and talent, examples of how she can make everyone feel included and important. Being the lion fit my personality even if some called me cowardly, something I am not! We went to a trunk-or-treat at a high school, trick-or-treated around the neighborhood, and invited our family and friends to the house for our annual Halloween party.

Being with the family is always my favorite part, but that year the oldest girl, my sister, made treats for the other dogs who visited our home, a strong sign of her love. Her bone shaped dog cookies sat on the counter next to the candy that we handed out to the kids who came to the door. If accompanied by a canine, we gave them a treat too. Pretty cool if you ask me!

It can be difficult being a dog when I cannot speak their language in words, but we communicate. If I am ever in doubt about how they feel about me or if I am part of the family, I simply gaze at the picture on the wall of all of us. I love that picture because it announces to everyone, I am a Zieglmeier.

Can't wait to see what our costumes are this year.

Subscribe today to receive free feel good stories.

My retirement hobby is to write stories that make readers laugh and appreciate the love of their furfriends.

Belief Statement: Humans make life too complicated. If we want to appreciate life, watch a dog for a day. They don't over think problems, perseverate on the impossible, worry about outcomes, or hold back affection. They see what they want, sniff it, lick it, roll in it and accept it.

Subscribe today to receive free feel good stories.