My very first Christmas was the best Christmas I ever had because that was when I found my forever home with my humans Dave and Val. One minute I was in a small cage, and the next I was in a big room with lots of humans. Small humans gathered around me petting my ears, and admiring me. There were so many human voices I did not know where to look first, and I was a little bit scared. But when Dave picked me up and held me on his lap I knew I was safe. I fell in love with him right at that moment, and I’m pretty sure the feeling was immediately mutual.
The little people kept asking Dave what my name would be. What’s a name I wondered? Dave pointed to the logo on my portable cage and said, “His name is right here on his kennel – his name is Remington.” As time went on I learned that when someone said Remington they were talking to me. I learned lots of human words quickly; things like cookie, supper, and leash.
Before Christmas, and coming to live with Dave and Val I lived in a big outdoor kennel with my dog mother and other beagles. My mother always tried to protect me because I was, as she kept telling me, not aggressive enough. We were all fed at the same time, and the bigger dogs would push me away from the food. It got so bad that the man with the food would put me in an area away from the other dogs to ensure I would get enough to eat. The other thing I could not get used to was loud noises. I wanted to get as far away from any loud noise as I could. My mother would find me at the back of the doghouse shivering with fear. She tried to assure me that everything was ok by nuzzling me with her nose and licking my face, but nothing she did seemed to help. The man took me to a big field with other dogs for what he called training, but at the first bang I was back to where we started, and cowering under the truck. I heard him say, “I don’t think this guy will ever be a hunter, we need to find him a home as a family pet. I think that’s where he will be his best.”
That’s how I came to live with Dave and Val as what the man called “family pet.” Val tells the story that she was looking for a beagle puppy to give to Dave for Christmas, and called a dog breeder in the next town hoping he would have a puppy to sell. He asked her if she was looking for a hunting dog, or a family pet. Val said she definitely wanted a pet. The rest is history.
My life with Dave and Val was much different from the kennel with my mother dog and other dog relations. There were no other dogs at Dave and Val’s house. I was all alone. The first night was especially scary. Dave put me in my cage, and shut the door. There was a soft blanket in there for me to lie on, and it was warm in the house (I was used to living outside in a kennel.), but it was so different for me without other dogs to snuggle with that it made me cry. Dave talked to me, but I was so young and did not know much human language at that time. I admit I cried myself to sleep that night.
Daylight brought welcome activity. We went from the kennel outside first thing, and Val thought I was genius for peeing right away. Who doesn’t need to go right when they wake up? This natural function not only got verbal praise, but a cookie as well. I could see right away it was not going to take much to please these people. There were many more trips outside with treats. We took some walks, but I was always on a tether. That involved some short runs, and consequent jerk back. I could tell right away that there would be a learning curve with this activity. More important was all the petting, praising, and playing. I wondered how much longer this paradise would last.
Although I no longer had other dogs as companions, Dave and or Val were always with me. I naturally gravitated to their pack. I didn’t have to compete with other dogs for food, and there were not any loud noises to scare me. I loved this existence, and constantly looked for ways to please. Val tied a ribbon to a bell, and hung it on the back door. She would take me to the door, lift my paw for me, strike the bell, give me a treat, and then we went outside. It didn’t take me long to figure out that if I wanted to go outside I would just ring the bell. Once again, Val thought I was a genius. Oh these humans are so transparently easy to deduce.
My favorite part of any day was playtime in the front yard. Dave or Val would throw a ball for me, or maybe a Frisbee. We were out for playtime one day when another dog appeared at the end of our driveway. This was the biggest dog I had ever seen. He was huge, and black, and very imposing. I growled at him a little, and it must have scared him because he immediately started wagging his short little stub of a tail and gave me body language that meant he wanted to be a friend. I wasn’t too sure about it – he was three times my size. He bowed down with his butt in the air; he gave me a friendly bark, and tried to sniff my private parts. I could not resist his savoir faire. Soon we were racing around our yard, sometimes I was in the lead, and sometimes Rudy the Rottweiler took the lead. What an amazing good time we had. The next day I watched out our front window to see if Rudy and his human mom would walk by. Sure enough, there they were! I put up such a fuss Val let me out and it was showtime! I had a new best friend.
Val enrolled me in puppy school. What a hoot that was! There were new friends to play with every week, and all kinds of new smells. My spot in the teaching circle of dogs was next to an Alaskan Husky. He was a beauty. I happily competed with him for first in class. Our teacher would often pull either me or my husky friend out to demonstrate whatever she was teaching. One day she was talking about giving more than one command at a time such as sit, then lie down. She pulled me out for demonstration, but she was confusing me. Did she want me to sit or lie? I paused not knowing what to do. My husky friend came to my aid by putting his big fat paw on my back and pushing me into a sitting position. Everyone laughed, and I felt foolish. I gave him a little nip to let him know my frustration as I went back to my place in line. I eventually demonstrated all of the activities in fine form, and after weeks of fun I received my diploma. I now consider myself an intellectual.
Reminiscing about those early days warms the cockles of my heart. I realize that providence brought me to some humans who love me beyond measure, and that many dogs never find the kind of home and love I have – every day has been Christmas for me since that first one so long ago.
