Ruby

I have this little white dog named Ruby. She has been a part of our family for six years now and I can’t imagine life without her anymore. She has brought so much joy, love and excitement into our home. And I firmly believe that pets really do make life better.

No matter how long I have been gone, whether it is 2 minutes, 2 hours, or 2 days; I can always count on Ruby to be at the door wagging her tail and prancing around to greet me. And really – this is something only a dog can do. It would just be weird if our moms and dads or brothers and sisters waited in the window for us all day long and came racing to the door; jumping up and down to greet us. It just doesn’t happen.

I have also learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to dogs. On the outside, Ruby is an innocent looking, 8 pound, puppy-eyed, little sweetheart; but on the inside she has the heart of a Doberman. She likes to give the people the idea that she is as tough as they come – ready to protect her people at any cost. There is no dog too big to bark at (from afar of course), no person to scary, and nothing can get in her way. That is the appearance that she likes to give to other people. But to us; she is the dog that won’t go for a walk in the Fall because the leaves crunch under her feet and it scares her, the dog that we have to clear a spot on the grass for when the snow gets to deep, and the dog that will snuggle up in your lap the moment you sit down. 

Even though she is a bit of a goofball; we still love her. She doesn’t quite have enough front teeth to keep her ridiculously long tongue in – so it is always hanging out of her mouth. Her mouth is closed, but her tongue is sticking out. She never wines or makes noise when she wants something, she simply scratches with one paw at whatever she wants. The scratching gets more and more violent if we don’t listen, she becomes impatient, or there is a dog in the park that she just HAS to run out and bark at. When she has had a bad day or is mad about something – we find a trail of stuffed animals across the upstairs hallway. If I have been gone for too long or left too many times in one day, she will greet me when I come home; and then give me the silent treatment. Even if I call her, she will pretend she didn’t hear me and prance over to someone else. She has the biggest brown eyes that just melt your heart every time you look at her and the cutest button nose. These features make it nearly impossible to deny her anything. She really does think she is the boss and that we would be absolutely lost and unprotected without her -  so we let her believe it; it makes her happy.

I had wanted a dog from the time I was four – and my parents FINALLY gave in when I was twelve years old. She is my dog. I am the one that her entire world revolves around; the one that she sits in the window and waits for; and the one that she loves unconditionally. I once read a bumper sticker that said “I strive to be the person my dog thinks I am.” This statement makes complete sense. My dog thinks that I am just the greatest thing since sliced bread and all I have done is love her. Pets are a great addition to a household because of what they can bring in. I love my dog, she’s a nut; but I love her.