Again I am so thankful for my Zoe. In the mornings like this I really like to just sit in the morning sunlight in the living room and enjoy the quiet. She was just laying on the floor next to me for a little while. Before that she was playing with the cat. Now she’s grabbed a toy and is stretched out on the floor chewing it. She just jumped up on the couch with it so she can look out the window - with the toy still in her mouth. She’s such a good dog, so happy to just be near you and occupy herself. And I so appreciate that.

I am simply not a high-energy kind of person, I get easily overwhelmed and stressed and anxious. I wish I wasn’t, but it’s very much who I am - I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression for many years. Oreo was so great during those many years - she was my buddy, my reason for getting up in the morning. She never demanded, but how could I deny her sweet, sad expression of hope that we would go to the park? Oreo was always there when I needed someone beside me, nights when I felt so sad and alone. Oreo’s happiness became my happiness.

And now I have Zoe. Zoe’s a very different kind of dog in many ways - so much more spunk and much more passionate about life. As opposed to Oreo’s soulful, questioning eyes, Zoe’s are much brighter and more joyful. Zoe has complete faith and trust in me, it’s like she never gets sad. I can’t tell you how many times her silly antics and zest for life has cheered me up, made me laugh. She’s taught me a lot about life.

I’m not really a very spiritual person at all. But I really do believe that Oreo and Zoe came into my life for a reason. I am so very grateful for both of them.

I haven’t written in a while - we were on vacation, visiting my parents… I was there for 2 weeks.

Oreo sure looks different to me now, I was shocked. She looks huge, even though she’s not, and she looks fat too because her fur so incredibly poofy. I gave her a brushing but she still needs a visit to the groomer’s to fix her up - though nothing can fit the way her fur curls and sticks out everywhere.

Her attitude is still mellow as can be - at 11 years old she just doesn’t give a care to much anymore. We had a big party at my parents’ place in the backyard, and she was just napping between the tables. Such a huge turn-around from how she used to be (overprotective, barky, nippy).

Tessa looks great, she even recognized me. She’s such a funny, funny dog - when she sees you she runs off to grab a toy, she has to have a toy in her mouth when she’s excited. And she doesn’t wag her tail - she wags her whole body. Though the tail is dangerous too, let me tell you.

It was a great vacation, and it was wonderful to see the dogs again. But honestly? I missed Zoe more than anything.

I have so much to write about, but before I forget: Oreo’s height at the shoulders is 19.5″.

Dad: anyway…at the park…Oreo took off towards the lparking lot when we were half way down the field
Dad: couldn’t believe she would run off like lthat to see other people at the entrance…people none of us knew
Dad: then I figured out what it must have been
Nat: someone had food?
Dad: there was a tallish girl with long hair…along with some kids
Dad: she was homing in on her until she got close enough then turned around to return to us
Dad: can you figure out why??
Nat: Awwww you’re gonna make me cry…. my baby misses me!!
Dad: yep…she thought it was you…and it did look like you…

We are having some wicked bad thunderstorms right now. I was napping, and it just started booming out there. One particularily loud boom startled me awake. I am very thankful that Zoe is not thunder-reactive - her head did pop up at that loud one, just like mine did, but she flopped it back down again with a sigh. Last night when I mentioned to someone that Zoe wasn’t thunder-reactive they stared at me in disbelief - I mean, of all the things she’s afraid of (people, dogs, cars, umbrellas, bags, clothes being shaken out… ), this - a very common fear for even non-anxious dogs - isn’t one of them?

If Oreo were here, she’d be totally freaking out on me. Not much really riles her, but thunder sure does. And I know what triggered it too… when she was just a puppy, we were camping up north in BC at our relative’s lakeside cabin, and everyone was outside when a big thunderstorm hit. Oreo and I were out in the open when it started, and she totally freaked out. We ran to the cabin (because it started pouring), and no harm was done at all, but I remember she was really terrified that day, and ever since.

Oh and Zeeke? I don’t think Zeeke has even twitched.

Zoe is the snuggliest dog in the world. I say this from the esteemed position of having owned three dogs in my entire life.

Zeeke’s comprehension of cuddling is shoving his head into your stomach, then possibly keeling onto his side to demand that you scratch his tummy. And if he’s feeling especially cuddly, he may refrain from gnawing on your arm while you’re doing it.

With Oreo I used to wake up with her nose beside me on my pillow. I’d snuggle up close to her and put my arm around her. She’d wiggle further away, but in a casual manner - the cliche’d yawn-and-stretch to get your arm around a girl, but in reverse. She’d allow herself to be hugged and cuddled, but it was just that: she allowed it to happen, and she did it for my sake. She loved me, no doubt about that… she just prefered to have her own space.

Now Zoe, on the other hand… When I get down on my knees and put my arms around her she turns into a huge wiggling body of esctacy. She’s a joy licker - where some dogs lick you because it seems you have salt or other tasty scent on your fingers, Zoe licks for the joy of licking. She puts her ears back and closes her eyes and licks frantically like you might take the object away from her at any moment and she simply must get as many licks in as possible. Licklicklicklicklicklick. She quivers as she does this, shaking with excitement. Doesn’t matter if it just happened 2 minutes ago or two weeks ago, the results of the lick-fix are the same. So when I get down and cuddle her close to my body, burying my face into her soft fur, any part of my body that is within tongue-distance is licked thoroughly. Meanwhile her tail is wagging joyously and her feet beat a tap-dance on the floor as she squirms around.

It truly is an uplifting moment. A Zoe hug is truly like no other.

I was just thinking about how I found my two dogs.

Zoe I found online, from just a picture and short description. But I knew she was the dog, I knew she was meant to be my puppy. I waited nearly a month to hear if I could even have her, but I wouldn’t have wanted any other dog.

Oreo I first saw when she was 2 days old, and I picked her out of the litter then. I don’t really know why, other than she had nice coloring that I liked. I wanted that particular puppy. She turned out to be the only girl.

And both dogs became my heart and soul. I couldn’t have asked for two better dogs for me if I had ordered them myself. I am so incredibly lucky to have had Oreo in my life during my teenage years, to have her with me all through college. She kept me sane, gave me a purpose. I got up in the mornings just to go to the park with her. And I am just as lucky to have Zoe now.

Just to show you how far Oreo has come:

Two years ago when Den came for christmas Oreo barked at him a lot. The first night Den and I were trying to cuddle on the floor, and Oreo jumped in between us and growled.

Tonight Den arrived, this is only the second time he’s been here. Tessa of course freaked out, barking and hiding. Oreo, my little doll, gave a few barks, then walked up to him, sniffed him, then sat down to be petted. When Den and I hug and kiss? Oreo ignores.

It’s like having a totally different dog! I can’t believe how much she’s changed. I have no doubt that if someone was actually trying to hurt me that she would be right in their face, but she’s SO much more accepting of people coming into the house and being around her humans. It’s fabulous to see her so relaxed! And Den’s very impressed.

I am so excited and so proud of my Oreo! She’s been going to the dog park for almost a year now, and Tessa the pup has been here for about 7 months. Both dogs really look forward to walks in the park, they get so excited and really perk up.

Oreo is 9 years old and really been slowing down in the past few years. Well yesterday and today at the park she was doing her thing, trotting around with her tail up when a little white dog came racing up and taunted her a bit, then ran off… and Oreo chased after it. We haven’t seen her run that fast in years! She did it again today, with the same dog. (Dad says maybe she thinks it’s a sheep? lol)

And then, to stun us even more, Tess and Oreo started playing! And not just the normal growl-and-chase that they do back and forth in the house… they were play-wrestling! My dog is a border collie and has NEVER played like that with any dog before, ever. But she was jumping up, shouldering, they were “biting” at each other’s necks, running around… they ran into dad twice, nearly knocked him on the ground. (That was Tessa’s fault - she’s like a truck when she hits).

I just had a huge grin on my face. Oreo acts like a pup again! (She’s also lost nearly 10 lbs since Tess showed up!)

Some dogs, like Zeeke, need to be physically restrained at the front door for fear he’ll bolt. Some cats, too. Oreo and Tessa have never been like that, though - it would never occur to them to leave. They were both brought up the same way, and Oreo’s been allowed loose in the front yard for years and years. Only when we’re with her, of course, and not very often, but she can be trusted. With Tessa following in her footsteps, we don’t have a problem at the front door. Well, other than barking - both of them sound like guard dogs when the doorbell rings, even though as soon as the person steps inside Oreo greets them and Tessa hides.

When strangers come to the door, it’s a juggling act trying to talk while keeping two dogs from shoving their way out the door to greet the person (or, in Tessa’s world, bark at them before running like hell). It often looks like a two-headed monster growing from between my legs.

When it’s a known person at the door, such as a cousin or my mother (who happens to use the front door often), we just open the door and let the dogs out. They swarm around the person, tails a-wagging in greeting. The only hitch is Joey, who used to try to dart out under everyone’s legs. He has since stopped that, thank the light! But the dogs, no problem.

Such was the case early this week when mom came to the door after dropping Cory off - she wanted to complain to dad about something. I wasn’t actually at the door, but I heard her voice rising towards dad before she left back for work.

A half hour later my dad says to me, “Have you seen Oreo?” I actually had not - which is strange, since she’s usually following me around. We started looking for her in all the normal spots - the beds, the couches, under the stairs. No dog. Tessa was out back, so we asked Cory if he had let Oreo outside with her. He hadn’t. We were getting increasingly puzzled when Cory had a brainstorm and ran to the front door and opened it. Sure enough, in walked Oreo, tail wagging in joy at being found. She had been locked out front for half an hour! I must say, that’s never happened before. But she must have gone out to greet mom, and dad closed the door without knowing she was out there. Sheesh!

Luckily, like I mentioned earlier, there is never a fear of her running off. When she was less than a year old and I was still in elementary school, she stayed in the backyard while I was at school. One day I came home to find her in the front yard, tail wagging like crazy, so glad that I came home. She had managed to squeeze her way out through a hole in the gate. She apparently got tired of waiting for me and gone back to get a toy from the backyard, too. She spent the day (who knows how long) laying on the front lawn with her toy, waiting.

Oreo gets locked in some of the basement rooms now and then. She loves those rooms, and as soon as dad opens the door she scampers in and falls asleep in the corner. Sometimes she does it when his back is turned and gets locked in. Now the crazy part is that she won’t let you know she’s in there. We always notice quickly if she’s missing (because, as I said, she’s always nearby), and we’ll look for her and call her name. She never barks. She never scratches. She never does anything, except stand there and stare at the door waiting for us to find her. Crazy dog.