A Dog's Tail

We got Lizzy from a rescue center to actually bring Burro out of a depression he went into after loosing his best friend Java Jones. I learned that animals can actually mourn and cry as Burro would no longer go into his doghouse even if it was raining and when we would bring him into the house which was every night tears would roll down from his cute little eyes. It took Lizzy several days of constantly trying to play with Burro before he started to perk up and I moved the dog house to a different part of the run and he and Lizzy became sleep mates.
Lizzy is part Lab, Rott and ?? After she got Burro back into motion we decided it was time to start walking them as we had always walked Burro and Java. Well we quickly found out that Lizzy had never known the pleasure of walking let alone running as Burro saw a jack rabbit and took off in pursuit. Lizzy figuring that she should also chase said rabbit took off and immediately floundered and got her legs all tangled up and crashed and burned. Over and over. The next day she started to get the hang of running but could only go a very short distance before just flopping over on her side, tongue hanging out and panting. It didn't take long thou and she was starting to build up muscle, endurance and speed. Within a month or so she could literally run circles around Burro and then blast off in one direction Burro would chase her and she could turn on a dime and race back past him until he would finally just give up in trying to catch her. We take them for walks often at night and Lizzy will run point back and forth across the trail, never slowing down and Burro is the guard dog walking right in front of us. Except when Susie takes them at night every once in a while it is like they communicate. Lizzy will take the guard position and Burro will run happily in search of a rabbit or a bone. He can find a bone on almost any walk. Sometimes they are giant elk bones and he looks so silly carrying a 3 foot leg bone.
Awhile back Susie was walking them at Ward Mountain and she lost sight of both of them.
Then the ground began to tremble she said and running right across the trail were two very large elk with two very excited dogs on their heels. No fear. Another time a coyote raced across the trail with Lizzy in pursuit. Good thing for her that it didn't feel like eating dog that day.
I am writing this in part for Penny who I read on one of Corbie's blogs maybe was afraid of getting another dog because she might not be able to love it as much as Beautiful, Sweet, Nala who was a wonder dog. Penny is right you know, there are times in most everyone's life that they get a dog that they become at one with. Java was like that with me. I told Susie that there was no way I would love Lizzy as much as Java and I admit I don't. But that is not the point. Animals love us 100% unconditionally. Most often they will give thier lives for us if need be. I have come to love Lizzy like crazy but still.............there is that one. Haven't we all at times had friends, lovers, parents, sisters or brothers that we loved more than another? That does not stop us from having more friends if we loose one or if we don't. It does not matter. We should look at our pets the same way. I know I will never have another Java but I can sure enjoy Burro and Lizzy and even if I do get another Catahoula Hound I won't look at it like I did The Jones. I think everyone need a dog. I think life without one is on many levels a lonely life.
Just a thought
Mudflap McPaw