When I was in 6th or 7th grade we got a dog. One of the main reasons my parents got a dog was to help me get over my fear. I was a six foot tall 12 year old and I had a terrible phobia of dogs. I would climb into a tree whenever our neighbor's Chihuahua was out in his yard. It was embarrassing. So when a neighbor called and said they had found an abandoned black lab puppy, my parents decided to adopt it. I still remember that first afternoon with Santa Lucia. We had her tied to a tree for the time being. I sat on the grass just out of reach of her chain for a long long time and slowly fell in love with her. She tried to reach me for a while, but then gave up and did her own exploring and playing while I watched. Within a day or two, that sweet girl won me over, healed me, and turned me into a life long dog lover.
Cia was the funniest, craziest, gassiest, loveliest dog in the world! She was always moving. Even if she was holding still for a second, her tail was flopping on the ground and her eyes were searching for the next thing to attack with love. She had nearly endless energy. She just bounced around everywhere - including off of people when she couldn't contain her enthusiasm. If you took her for a really long walk, she'd start to slow down the farther you got from home. At some point, you could almost hear her whine "Are we there yet?" and you'd have to practically drag her along. However, as soon as you turned around to head back, she'd suddenly perk back up and trot home again. She was always up in your face, "Hi! Hi! Can you see me?!? Wanna play?!?!" Even if you got mad at her, she was too clueless to care. "Hi! Hi! You mad?!?! Wanna play?!??!" She was just full of joy and she gave me a lot of joy too.
Now I'm sure Labrador retrievers aren't for everyone. In fact, I bet they annoy plenty of folks. But here's the truth - they aren't trying to be annoying and they don't let the fact that they are annoying get them down. What a great way to live! I've been thinking about it for the past little while and I've decided that:
A) I might have a little bit of Labrador in me and
B) Maybe that's a good thing.
I can get a little enthusiastic at times. I like pretty much everyone I meet, assume they like me and want to play, and usually miss any clues whatsoever if they think I'm annoying. Overall, it's not a bad way to live. I'd much rather be a Labrador than a Pit bull or a snooty little Spaniel! Or worse yet a cat! (just kidding - they're all great!) Ooh, I just realized that I might have a little more Shar pei in me than I'd like! Perhaps some old English Bulldog too...
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