Valentine for Our Animals – Family Members All – With Love
“I made up for my dog-less boyhood…”
Tame Animals We Have Known
Maybe it’s losing Betty White, don’t know, but this Valentine’s Day we’re thinking of ALL our family members we love. Human. Canine. Feline.
Those with us now, those of other years…
We’re a four-dog family (one after another, and not counting the dogs my wife grew up with as a girl). Yukon King, Brandy, Mocha and Bella.
One, a part Lab, was an easy train. Two others, a Husky mix and a German Shepherd, required more of our time. Little Bella just wants to be with us and please.
King, named after Yukon King, was a husky and found the house too hot to live in. When he howled like a wolf, he scared the bejesus out of the neighbours.
Brandy was a loyal nanny to our Gregory and Jennifer and waited every afternoon for the sound of the school bus so her real day could begin.
Dogs (and their forebears, the wolves) don’t eat corn in the wild. In fact, we quickly learned that corn can be destructive to many canine’s digestive systems. Espec
A Mocha-Coloured Dog
When Mocha, our German Shepherd, developed chronic stomach problems, we were highly motivated to find out everything we could about dog food.
We knew that most commercial dog foods contained corn but took for granted that the pet food companies knew their stuff. Corn must be OK. Wrong! Especially German Shepherds. And there were so many other ingredients in commercial pet foods…
We’d always fed our dogs some natural foods, starting with our first dog, a Husky named Yukon King. But with Mocha it became essential to get our dog diet right. We ended up making her food from scratch — her favorite meal was freshly cooked chicken and rice. Mostly brown rice, but instant white rice on occasion. It worked. Our beloved Mocha was once more her bright, curious, intense and loving self.
Tigger & Mocha
We always knew when the coyotes were back. Mocha begged to go out the front door and, panting like an old locomotive building up steam, flew like a cannonball to the rabbit trail at the foot of the snowball tree. That night, we’d hear the coyotes a’howling in the forest.
With us, Mocha was as gentle as a kitten. When we called her in during one of her coyote harangues, she came in right away — but with a look clearly saying, “Are you daft? There’s COYOTES out there! It’s my job to scare them away!”
But she always came when called.
And what do you say about a little buff Cocker Spaniel who just wants to love her family?
It’s taken time but patience and love have given our canine family members a full life.
Tillie & Rusty
And then there’s our felines: Misty, Pebbles, Tigger, Pepper, Tillie and Rusty. One a loving mama cat, one a princess, one a clown, one an outlaw, one bright beyond her species (or are all house cats this smart but hide it) and one an absolute pussycat…
One and all of them beloved family. And we celebrate them all on Valentine’s Day. What better day?
Bella
Learn more about our family at The Works and Life of Brian Alan Burhoe – All About Us & More
“Live Free, Mon Ami!” – Brian Alan Burhoe
See more at https://brianalanburhoe.com.
Valentine for Our Animals – Family Members All – With Love