Dogs

In March last year I posted that Lucy, our dog, had died. Lucy was a Maltese Shi Tzu cross who had been raised from a puppy by Kate and had reached the lengthy age of 16 years. She was a lovely little dog who was very much loved and vice versa. At the time Kate felt the loss deeply.  As is common in such situations from what I have seen with others, she stated that she did not wish to get another dog.

About a year later, that feeling had changed and we obtained not one, but two, delightful boys who are a delight to behold and with which to interact.

They are half brothers and are inseparable. It is as though their sole purpose is to give unconditional love and affection, not only to Kate (who they follow everywhere) but also to other family members and visitors. 

They are a breed called Havanese:

With a personality that's as sunny as his native island of Cuba, the Havanese is a fun and devoted companion. 

The Havanese dog breed has won many admirers with his long, silky hair, expressive eyes, and cuddly size. Bred as a companion dog to the Cuban aristocracy in the 1800s, he's earned the nickname "Velcro dog" because he sticks so closely to his owner's side. But don't write him off as just a lapdog; the Havanese is trainable and surprisingly energetic, and has excelled in dog sports and canine careers ranging from circus performer to assisting the handicapped. 

- http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/havanese

Kate obtained Kane and Tux (short for Tuxedo Man because of his colouring) when they were aged 8 months and 6 months respectively. Kane is the larger of the two, bolder and a real softie. Tux is smaller, much lighter, more timid but also more clever, who likes nothing better than a lap. 

Some thoughts about dogs . . . 

“Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear." 

- Dave Barry

"I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl." 

-  Penny Ward Moser

"To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs." 

- Aldous Huxley

"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives." 

- Sue Murphy

"Ever consider what they must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul- chicken, pork, half cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!" 

- Anne Tyler

"I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult." 

-  Rita Rudner

"Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant." 

- Unknown

"If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons." 

- James Thurber

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful." 

- Ann Landers

"Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." 

- Robert A. Heinlein

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." 

- Ben Williams

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

- Josh Billings

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion" 

- Unknown