Pet Chronology!

When I was growing up, we didn’t have any animals at our house. My mom would tell us she wasn’t going to take care of an animal, which my brother and I interpreted as no animals allowed. I always tell people when I was growing up I didn’t have a dog, a cat, a bird or a fish, I had a brother.

So once I got married Dave and decided to venture into the animal world and try our hand. We figured we would start with an animal and then maybe move on to kids.

We started with a cat right after we got married. That lasted about a week when I came home from work and Dave’s eyes were almost swollen shut from allergies. So I decided to stick with the new husband and the cat went back to the pound.

Then came Daisy dog. She wasn’t our dog, we got her for my dad for his birthday so he wouldn’t feel like an empty nester. She was such a good dog and we couldn’t have picked a better companion for my dad. They went everywhere together and she was very loyal. People would ask if my dad seat belted her into the car, because she would sit in the passenger seat of his truck like a person and not move. For several months while my parents were moving, Daisy came to live at our house in Missouri. When it came time for her to go back to Salt Lake my parents drove out to visit and pick her up. On the last day of their visit as we were packing the car, Daisy climbed into the backseat of the car and just sat down. There was no way on earth she was going to let my dad leave without making sure he was took her with him. Daisy died in September 2007.

Baxter was my first official pet. The Boo Bear as he was called was such a good dog. Dave got him for me for our first anniversary. Baxter could bay with the best of them, and loved to have family sing-a-longs. He also loved to eat. I must admit he was a little on the pudgy side, but it just added to his charm. His other nick name was the “Boover” because after you were done eating he would suck any last crumb off of you he could find. He was happiest just snuggled up at your feet, licking them if you would let him. And despite his girth he was always willing to go for a walk. Baxter died in January 2008.

After we got Baxter we moved into our house and got Cerebus. And if ever there was a dog that loved Dave it was Cere. Her little world revolved around Dave. Once while I was holding and petting her Dave walked into the room. I still have the scare on my leg from her racing to be with him. She would sit and lick on Dave all day long if he would let her. I would ask for a kiss and she would give me a paltry little lick to placate me and go back to Dave. I always got the impress she just put up with me and I was the one sleeping in the bed next to Dave where she thought she rightfully belonged. Cerebus died in January 2003.

After Cerebus died, I was happy just having Baxter, but Dave really wanted another dog, so we got Zoe. Now Zoe was a force unto herself. She was loyal beyond anything and she loved Dave and I, but beyond that she didn’t like people or other dogs. Zoe would get really anxious around other people and she didn’t always handle her anxiety well. When we had visitors we had to watch her really close and advised the visitor to never turn their back on her. She bit a couple of people superficially. Zoe put up with Hayden because we made her, but she would rather he hadn’t ever come to live at our house. We talked about getting another dog after Baxter died, but decided Zoe would probably kill any new dogs we tried to introduce to the family. Zoe was hit by a car while we were on vacation. If I never see another dog hit by a car it will be too soon. Zoe died in July 2008.

And then there were a couple of months we were dog free, and though I missed the dogs, I was content not having a dog and worrying about vet bills or boarding and such. But in September while I was eyebrow deep in preparation for a trial, Dave and Hayden decided they wanted a new dog. Plus Hayden would drag one of us over to Dana’s house (see Me the Bad Neighbor below) to see her dog, which was never a good thing. So I explained to Dave if he wanted to get a dog, I would be unable to help with the dog until after my trial was completed. I also explained I did not want a puppy. So we went looking when I had a free hour or two and found this beautiful little beagle mix at a local shelter. I love beagles. We put our name down and went through their interview process, but were denied adoption because we worked and the dog would be home alone to much and dogs are social animals. Yah, whatever. So Dave and Hayden looked around and found some cute puppies at another shelter and fell in love. They picked out Daphne and brought her home.

So Daphne (named after the character from Scooby-Doo) is our dog. She is quite the intrusive dog and bigger than any of our other dogs (excluding Daisy). She is very jealous of Hayden, but they are the best of friends and inseparable. One minute he is calling her the “Damn Dog” (he got that from me, not one of my proudest moments) and saying Daphne’s my dog. She has calmed down a lot in the last couple of months and is becoming quite a good dog. I never realized how anxious I would get when people visited because of Zoe, but now with Daphne she is so social it is nice not to have to worry. She does provide some funny moments also. Last week we had a pretty bad thunderstorm during the night, with the kind of thunder that shakes the windows. The boys both slept right through it, but Daphne was all panicked and would stick her head under the bed and howl. So I was annoyed at her waking me up, but it was to funny watching her with her head under the bed.


So for better or worse, Daphne is our dog and we love her. My desire for another beagle is growing stronger, but I keep telling myself I only want one dog at a time.