@Lizzie @MicheleandLouw0....pets make you whole! Our current pet is an Aussie Shepherd dog who we call 'Betty Joy' (Betts)! The reason we call her this is because we last had the most beautiful dog who was loved by everyone.
His name was Jetti Boy and when he died we said we would never get another dog...it breaks your heart when they have to leave you.
But one night after Jetti died I got a picture of this Aussie Shepherd on my phone and I knew we had to have her! Her name was 'Lara' and she was a pedigreed dog, and as soon as we picked her up we fell in love with her.
We were still very attached to our beloved 'Jetti boy' but this dog was a little girl so....the obvious name for her was Betty joy!!
You do become so attached to your dog and each one shows you emotion in lots of different ways, Sure they wag the tale when they are happy and they bare their teeth when they are not, but there is a lot in between!
Betts is a very neat clean dog....when I say that she does not have slobbery jowels or weapy eyes...
You would say she is a neat, clean dog......and generally she will come with us when we go out to visit. Some times this is not possible and she cannot come with us! She will see us getting ready to leave and will head straight for the car ready to be involved in the next adventure. I have to tell her..."No, not this time Betts" and the tail will drop as she sees us get in the car and drive away. Sometimes we will get a few hundred metres from home and Ade will say, 'I forgot my phone,... my glasses... my teeth!' something or other, and I will turn around and head back home. Betts is sitting there and when I go up to the gate her face is wet with tears, she has been crying because she has been left behind! Others I tell this to say 'bullsh*t' dogs don't do that but I swear it is true...It has happened on a number of occasions and I know I am not imagining it.
Pets do make you whole though, I cannot imagine life without one. When Jetti died I felt I needed closure so I did this little memorial to him.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJGPQp9pF8o
It did give me a feeling of saying goodbye!
Cheers.....Rob