She was just an 'ole hound dog with liver and white spots and very pregnant the first time we saw her - the unforgettable feature was that her eyes twinkled and she just seemed to like us (only later did we find out she likes everybody). We were new in the area and had made our first friend.
Several weeks passed and we didn't see her again, then she reappeared, her tummy had shrunk but her appetite had not. After eating and drinking she disappeared almost immediately but returned more quickly after that time and we provided food and affection.
One morning she presented a tiny pup for our inspection. We oohed and aahed over him but we were surprised she had only one. The next day she brought a second. This continued daily through nine puppies and we named her Mama Dog.
We were unable to care for all her pups so we managed to find good homes for them, but nine months later this experience repeated itself through three litters. Finally, belonging to us alone or not, we had her spayed.
Although she stays at our place predominately, she makes the rounds of the neighboring farms. We were told by one person that their dog was probably the father of Mama Dog's pups and by another that she had been in the area for a long time.
Our personal menagerie consists of five dogs, all within a large fenced yard, so we didn't consider introducing a sixth. Dogs are very territorial and our crew does not like Mama Dog in their space (even though she is outside the fence), and they will bark and run at her when she comes near. She will slink away with tail between her legs and often we will run out and pet her, assuring her of our love. Even the barn cat, Roxie, will rub enthusiastically against her leg, but she seems to want Everyone to like her.
Funny how our lives coincide. We've been here now for 6 years and we wanted everyone to like us too ... but not everyone does. I guess that's just the way it is for two and four legged creatures.
Often at night we hear a mournful bark - it's Mama Dog, baying at the moon and asking "Why doesn't Everyone like me?"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment