Full Circle and The Dormant Years (Part 6)

Continued... In the beginning we received a pair of Border Collies, Bo and Daisy, from a elderly farming couple. They could no longer manage the dogs as their age prohibited them from the active lifestyle the dogs required. Now my mom could no longer give our current dogs, Laser Wolf and Precious, the care they required. Therefore we found a willing family, who lived in the country, to take them in and give them a home and plenty of land to roam on. Things came "full circle" in the dog journey. It was a matter of receiving and giving back. As we received, Bo and Daisy, from a couple who lived in the country we now sent, Laser Wolf and Precious, off to open spaced and new adventures.

This began what I call, "The Dormant Years". This began a 10 plus year span of not having a dog to call my very own. It was a time in which I often thought about owning a dog but never had the right environment to make it a reality. These were the college years and the start to both my family and my career. Needless to say things were very busy from all angles. Starting a family is a full time job and obviously my career was a literal full time job. Factor into the equation the fact that my wife and I lived in a urban small town house and we had every excuse not to own a dog. Like I mentioned before, although the environment wasn't right, the dormant years wouldn't last forever. Soon enough opportunity would knock and little did I know that this would lead to the biggest adventure of our love of man's best friend. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

How did you get started in dogs? Part 5

Continued... After her came the Alaskan Malamute, Laser Wolf, and the Siberian Husky, Precious. They ended up hanging around for some time. Laser Wolf was a male and he was my dad's dog. He was big, hairy and at moments scary! Precious was a female and she was my dog. She was a bit more petite but was full of energy. Maybe too much energy! After all she was bred as a working dog, a sled dog and having pent up energy didn't help any. For a time they lived together at my mother's home and we did our best to care for them and keep them healthy and happy. As any dog owner knows this is not simple task for such active and driven dogs.

It would soon be time for me to head out to college and who would care for the dogs? I couldn't take them with me therefore someone was going to have to pick up the slack. By default mom was awarded the task but I'm not sure how enthused she was about it. Yikes, sorry mom! She took up the cause and was stuck with the all important doggie duties. I must admit that it was quite a big task for such a little woman. She managed well for a season but soon thereafter it all became a bit too much. The question then became, "What do we do with the dogs?" They needed a home and preferably a home with lots of running room. Maybe we could find them a home? The hunt was on and soon enough my father encountered just the home and just family. One day on his rural mail route he found the perfect and home and perfect family. This is where the story came full circle. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

How did you get started in dogs? Part 4

Continued... What happened from there was a longing to replace my beloved Daisy. As a result, in came several different puppies. Some were mutts and others were pure bred. A Shiatsu, a Rottweiler, a Pit Bull mix and both an Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky. I didn't really know what type of dog I wanted and at that point in my life it didn't matter all too much. I just wanted a faithful companion and a loyal friend. I often likened Daisy to Lassie and I was on the hunt for my own Lassie. You know the intelligent dog who could communicate with humans and often times was the savior of the story. That's the kind of dog I was looking for and it didn't matter if she came in the form of an American Pit Bull Terrier or a Yorkshire Terrier.

During the string of dogs that came in and out of my life at that time there were a few standouts. One of the ones that hung around for a good period of time was, Simba, my "Pit" mix. I didn't know much about training dogs at that time but I knew they were intelligent enough to be trained. I started working with her on basic commands and she caught on quickly. She would come when called and she would "sick 'em" on command. Did I mention I was a bit rambunctious as a kid? Lol. I would get a kick out of scaring my friends but thankfully she never actually bit anyone. She was a tiger brindle and I thought she was a tough guys dog. The only thing is that she had a very narrow mussel and didn't boast a big head either. Not too tough after all. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

How did you get started in dogs? Part 3

Continued... She was a faithful companion and ferocious protector. Because of her unique qualities I grew to have a special bond with dogs. I also developed a heartfelt love and appreciation for them. It was a love that started in my childhood and remains to this very day. There was a season of dormancy but ultimately it couldn't be tamed forever. It would be awakened again and prove to be a permanent fixture in both my life and in the life of my family. I'll come back to this as the story continues to unfold.

As with all life there is a time to be born and a time to die. This is certainly true of our beloved animals, our faithful dogs. I'll never forget the day I awoke to find Daisy on her death bed. It was a bed of snow and she had been run over some time in the middle of the night. She lay there in painful silence and I knew her time was up. She had been hit by a car and I couldn't help but think it was purposeful. She was too active and agile to accidently be hit by a vehicle. No one will ever know exactly what happened to her as she carried the details of her final hours with her to the grave. Death will catch you by surprise and it can be quite devastating. I'll never forget shedding tears as my faithful side kick was gone for good. We would no longer live the adventures of The Dukes of Hazzard. With her passing a part of me died but I also believe a part of me became even more alive. The part that became alive was a growing love for man's best friend. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

How did you get started in dogs? Part 2

Continued... High speed chases and high flying jumps were a part of the imagination reel. Yet the journey wouldn't be complete without, Flash, the slow paced Basset Hound. He was Rosco's loyal companion but the true beauty of Flash was the fact that she hated Boss Hogg and loved the Dukes. Aren't all dogs loyal? There is something unique about their loyalty, affection and love towards humans.

Getting back to my own dogs I remember the loyalty of my trusty Daisy. She was loyal to our family as well as to Bo. You see one night while we were asleep something happened to Bo. We never knew exactly what happened but he never came home. Daisy was never the same after that night and it seemed as if she had a longing for her buddy Bo. After that night she was terrified of thunder and fireworks and we often wondered if Bo had been shot in one of their action packed "adventures of The Dukes of Hazzard." Although she lost her closest companion she didn't lose her loyalty. Her loyalty simply shifted from Bo to our family and specifically to us kids. That loyalty continued with her to the very end of her life and she could be found faithfully by my side.

Growing up in a small town I would travel from one end of town to the other on my favorite bicycle. Those bike rides were my own daily adventures and I would often have my faithful side kick, Daisy. Being a Border Collie she would run for miles without stopping. I would ride and she was always close behind. Whenever we would encounter a stray she would be quick to defend me and she was fearless. To be continued...

So Long for Now,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com

How did you get started in dogs?

I am often asked, "How did you get started in dogs?" There is a long story behind that question and I am going to do my best to share the story with you in my own words. The story may take some time to complete but I will do my best to keep the content truthful, inspiring and engaging.

I grew up in rural Colorado in the southern part of the state in a town called Monte Vista (Spanish for Mountain View). I have many fond memories of my upbringing in Monte Vista and none other than my childhood dogs. It started with the adoption of the first dogs that I can remember, a pair of Border Collies by my father. I'm not sure the entire story but he came across these two adult Border Collies at some point. I believe they were given to him by a farmer who could no longer care for them. They were great dogs! Their names were Bo and Daisy and I assume they acquired their names from, none other than, the popular hit TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard. By the way, The Dukes of Hazzard, was one of my favorite childhood shows. Who can forget the many memorable characters including the beautiful Daisy Duke and her infamous "daisy dukes". As with any great series or story you somehow found yourself in the heat of the action. Before you knew it you were jumping through the window of that famous 1969 Dodge Charger with its doors welded shut. It was nicked named the General Lee and it was one bad machine!

Not sure your upbringing but if you were anything like me, you owned a "General Lee" matchbox car and you would relive the action scenes of The Dukes of Hazzard. To be continued...

So Long,
Paul Dean
www.ecostaffords.com