Before and After: My Other Two Babies

I'm a dog lover. I wasn't always a dog lover, I've slowly evolved as time has gone on. I loved one of the dogs we had, Goldie, but seriously disliked the other, Charlie, the beagle from hell. Charlie was not well liked by our neighbors either. He often escaped outside, once entering our neighbor's house and ate seven sandwiches they had prepared for a picnic. Charlie ate a hole in the wall-to-wall carpet, chewed up underwear, got into the garbage and left it strewn around the house, destroyed shoes and anything else left within his reach - he was a menace. He seemed more like a prison sentence rather than man's best friend.

Growing up I always had a dog. Tammy was the most memorable one. She had black curly hair, half poodle, half cocker spaniel - a cockerpoo - she was a designer dog long before it became fashionable! Living until she was almost 16 years old, deaf, blind and suffering with cancer she remained faithful until the day she died.

Like many 'empty-nesters' I have replaced my three grown children with two very special dogs, Penny and Scout, shih-tzus. Penny is black with white spots and will be nine years old in November. She is named after my grandparent's last dog. Scout is tan and white and will be eight years old on April 11th. She is named after a character in one of my favorite books, To Kill A Mockingbird. Often people think she's a boy because of the name and trust me, she thinks she's tough stuff - even going as far as to lift her leg occasionally, but she really is a girl.

Penny and Scout enthusiastically greet me every night when I come home from work. Every morning they are so excited to begin the day or maybe it's they're very excited to get to eat - either way, they are happy in the morning and a bright start to the day. They both sleep with me, Penny under the covers, Scout at my feet. Even now as I sit in my boffice, they are my faithful companions, always near by, ready to do what ever suits me.

Today they had their grooming appointment and boy did they need a haircut. They looked like two rag-a-muffins; their eyes obscured with hair. Penny looked like she was sporting bangs. I love their groomers, Canine Groomers in Shoreline. It is a little out of the way but how they treat Penny and Scout and I'm certain all their other clients makes up for the added distance.

Canine Groomers hand dries their clients as opposed to kennel drying. Therefore Penny and Scout are there for only two hours. They don't spend long periods of time kenneled up, waiting to dry or waiting to get clipped. It's very professional. More important, the owners of Canine Groomers truly love dogs. This is a vocation for them, not just a business. Penny and Scout actually seem to enjoy going there. At some of the other locations I've taken them to Penny will often shy away, dig in her paws and I have to pick her up to get her in the door.

Finally, the other fun thing is that Penny and Scout leave Canine Groomers wearing a bandanna. Today's is bright pink with white polka-a-dots. Typically their bandanna reflects the season. Christmas is Santa or wreaths, summer is red, white and blue, fall is pumpkins or turkeys. I leave the bandannas on for a week or two because I think they look so cute.

Penny and Scout are two of the finest dogs I've ever known. Sure, dogs aren't exactly people, and not entirely a replacement for my children or grandchildren, but they sure run a close second!