Day 182

11/13/22

This sister and brother are 9 1/2 years old and going strong! What a blessing! Our memories are countless and immeasurable.

One might think that, being from the same litter, they would have similar personalities. Although they have the same hearts of a Therapy Dog, their traits diverge from there.

Ranger is strong-willed, stubborn and the most loving of dogs. Lilly is intelligent, empathetic and loyal to a fault. Of the two, Lilly is the Alpha leader and Ranger knows it!

Yesterday on our walk, Lilly decided to investigate and then sample something near the river. The "item" was more enticing than my call to "come," so I gave a tug on the leash. It broke and I fell backwards as if in a tug-of-war competition. Both dogs glanced my way, but continued with their investigations. Nothing hurt, but my pride, I glanced around for witnesses, brushed myself off and tied the remaining leash to her collar. As I walked away with my bruised ego, I literally asked them, "Where was a Therapy Dog when I needed one?"

Today, I tried out a new leash. it has two lines to walk a pair of pups. We started out slowly, with me trying to show and explain the new contraption. Cooperation was not evident as Stubborn Ranger and Alpha Lilly decided that their way was the right way. We eventually made it home, but the leash went into hibernation for another day.

We took a second walk, later in the day, with separate leashes. All was right with their world. I guess we are all creatures of habit to some extent. I know I am. After all, how many people do you know who have called the same house their home for their entire life?