Jeff Posing
"America is a nation of dog lovers. People relate to their animals almost more than they relate to other human beings”-Nick Park
Let me introduce myself “I am the man who accompanies his dogs (there are three) through their life’s journey.” I am also a writer sitting here in the Mother Lode thinking why not tell the stories about these four legged inhabitants referred to as dogs of the foothill and mountain communities.
As anyone who has ever traveled on the highways and the byways of America knows, dogs are everywhere. They can be seen in front yards chasing Frisbees to the front seats of cars looking very regal. It has been said they are man’s best friend but as the years progress and society changes so has dogs role in our lives. In 2011 dogs are treated more as family than pets
My wife and I take our dogs to dog parks which although primarily for the dogs benefit it is a great place to meet people who share one thing in common with us, they love dogs.
What’s not to love about dogs? In my case, morning begins with our dog Owen (a fifty pound ball of brown fur being part German Shepard and part Labrador) greeting me as if I was the most important person in the world. And, maybe I am in his world, I feed, walk and love him. Owen’s first task every morning is trying to chase off the deer. They ignore him with a glance that says “Get a life, I’m bigger and faster than you”. After tiring of that he works his way down to squirrels hanging out in the yard. Owen barks and whines delighting in the fact his voice has made the squirrels run up into the trees where they chatter at him. Each day always ends up with him snuggling at my side, eyes closed preparing for the next days’ beginning.
Mom’s Jeff (a “Walker Hound” we obtained from the animal shelter) is a dog who is entirely Mom’s. I am here only to feed him and protect him from the occasional threat that the wrinkling of a paper bag brings. Jeff, when he came to us from the shelter in Jackson, had been badly abused by a man. He has been a part of our family for four years and still doesn’t trust me because I am a man. He lives for my wife. When we first brought him home he ran into the woods. I panicked but Shirley came to the rescue and four years later he still will not leave her side. Over the years he has gained some trust in me but when the chips are down it’s Mom that counts.
Our oldest dog Wilson (a mixture of so many breeds I can’t count) is the family dog. He loves Shirley and me equally. We obtained him via a rescue organization. We were his last chance. He was not a pretty dog but his heart was big. He was a lover. We had just finished grieving for our dog Mikie when Wilson entered our lives. It was just before our wedding ten years ago. We obtained Wilson in mid- December as a companion to our other dog “Menace” who was grieving for Mikie’s loss, and from my experience dogs do grieve.
Wilson was delivered to our house on a cold rainy December day in 2001. Two weeks later we left on our honeymoon leaving our dogs in the care of a pet sitter. Suddenly the words “Separation Anxiety” entered into my vocabulary. Upon our return home we found everything breakable/chewable sitting on a ledge out of Wilson’s reach. All the items in the house that weren’t rescued (our pet sitter’s words) were in shatters. In our bedroom there were so many feathers flying in the air from the pillows Wilson had shredded, it looked like it was snowing. Ever since that day he has always been at our side. He loves us both equally.
Still this column is not going to be about me and my dogs but the dogs of the Mother lode. Each dog is unique complete with personality and quirks. My goal is to expose their stories to the people living in this area through this column. I hope you enjoy the stories that are going to follow. Each story is as different and as unique as each dog owner is. It has been said that a dog resembles its owner and I hope by telling these stories we are not only revealing stories about the dogs residing in the local hills and forests we refer to as the Mother lode, but the people who walk these paths as well.
The next column will feature a dog named Sierra who is parented by Roger. She is the greeter at an auto parts store in Pine Grove.
If you have a dog with a story to share contact me at danny74713@gmail.com and we will arrange a date for an interview and in the coming weeks their tail (pun intended) may be featured in this column.
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