Dog Years

I cannot remember when I did not have a dog. I love dogs...First there was Skippy..a pekingese. She was so very frisky and could not stay sitting still...she could not even stay on the leash when I was walking her she just wanted to run run and run. One day she just kept on running and never came home....Then came Carlo.....I got him from my grandpa... a Pekapoo...and poo he loved to do! All over the room and the walls! ONE weird dog..you could never leave him alone! he got to be 9...Then Boo-Boo. Yeah silly name for a dog..but she was the best dog. My neice named her...we were in the car and singing the song "You and me and a dog named Boo".....so it just stuck...a Black Lab..I swear she could say "OUT" when she wanted to go out...she loved small stuffed animals. The first one she got was when she was a year old and my son was born...she stole a funky little stuffed animal out of his bassinet and kept it with her through out her 13 years. Then came Lacey the first dog we actually bought at a pet store. She loved to swim and eat veggies out of the garden...and look at herself in the mirror. She would howl in her sleep and Snore so loud it kept you up at night...She was struck by a car but made it through when she was 10 years old...but she was just too tired at 15.... Then Hooch...Boxer/doberman mix...great dog...she just wanted to be free to run and do what she wanted to do and at around 125 pounds, she did just that, whatever she wanted....especially chase cars. Once after I cooked a whole chicken and placed it on the counter and turned my back she just reached up and took the whole thing and had it gone before I could call in my husband for dinner...She once jumped into a window because she just wanted in..and it was at least 5 feet from the ground...She had a hard fast life and only lived to 3...but She was the one who brought home our next dog..Little Bit..a Lhasa Apso...We think maybe she was abused during her first year as she was and still is so afraid of loud voices. But the cutest most lovable dog we have ever had. She loved to chase frisbees..and now loves to eat...She will manage to french kiss you every time you get close enough...She is almost 15 and still so full of piss and vinegar (as my mother in law would say) And yesterday she sucker punched me with her nose in my eye....I am surprised I don't have a black eye today..I was bobbing and weaving to miss the french kiss thing and she just popped me one in the eye instead..my eye swelled up and is still killing me today! Then there is Elvis...a Sheltie/cocker mix who we got at a yard sale..he loves to run around and chase lights...he would go for hours doing that..I think he would make a good blood hound as he will sniff out an intruder with no problem...He loves balls of any size and cannot understand why my dad has boxes of them just sitting in a barn...He will just look at them all and take them out one by one......he is 10.
I cannot imagine life without a dog. I love them. They are incorruptible, guileless and they just love you unconditionally. What better friend to have with you through out your life than that? I remember always hearing that one year in a dog's life is actually 7 years in human life...but a few years ago I read something to the contrary...It seems that a dog ages more quickly in early years but at a slower rate later.....
8 months = 13 years
1 year = 16 years
2 years = 24 years
3 years = 28 years
5 years = 36 years
7 years = 44 years
9 years = 52 years
11 years = 60 years
13 years = 68 years
15 years = 76 years
So then Elvis is just about 60 and Little Bit is pushing 76 years...a lot better than 70 and 105! I guess I don't care how old they are...just happy to still have them..I just want "Little Bit" here for a little bit longer and I am not ready to say that "Elvis" has left the building just yet!
Goodnight