When it's right, you know it

As a kid, my niece had memorized the dog encyclopedia. She knew the characteristics of all the dogs and she would interview anyone who came by to determine the type of dog that person should own. “Do you live in an apartment or a house? Do you exercise? How much grooming are you willing to do? Do you have other dogs or children in the house?” After her informal questionnaire, she would determine the breed of dog that the person should have. For me, she determined that a Tibetan Spaniel would be the ideal dog. However, I traveled all the time and a dog was not an option for me.

Years later, my boyfriend, Todd, and I were at a party. The host had a great dog – the perfect size, so friendly, not too hyper – and, you guessed it, a Tibetan Spaniel. The dog was great!! Todd is a drummer and the dog even liked it when he played drums and would jump in his lap. I marveled at how spot-on my niece’s evaluation turned out. If I were ever to get a dog, I would like a Tibetan Spaniel. However, the travel was still an issue.

I had been living with Todd for a while when I got a call from my niece. She was spending a lot of time at the local shelter and they had just brought in a stray that looked like a Tibetan Spaniel. She decided it was Fate and the dog should be mine. I was working so Todd went to meet the dog. Within minutes, he had signed the papers making him ours. We picked him up a few days later and from the minute he walked in, Boris had won our hearts. The first time he heard Todd play his drums, Boris picked up a squeaky toy and played along. If we had people over, he would drag his bed so that it was directly in the middle of all the action. He was a joy to have around and we adored him. He also was a willful Tibbie and it became obvious that he was turning into a little tyrant only child. So, we decided to find him a sister – Natasha.

We had been combing the rescue websites looking for another Tibbie. We finally found Natasha in a nearby shelter. She looked like a Tibetan Spaniel mix but she looked close enough to be a sister and was such a wonderful dog that we couldn’t resist. The two dogs get along great and she keeps him on his toes. She is a much more high-energy dog and her antics keep him from being too sedentary.

The dogs have changed our lives. We had been a couple and now we’re a family. We have fostered a couple of pit bulls (found by the same niece who originally “interviewed” me) and found them good homes. I can no longer imagine life without a dog and wish we could bring home all the shelter dogs. But we do our part however we can. Thank you for all you do.