Throughout the
first 37 years of our marriage, Bill and I (and our three daughters) had
a number of dogs. From the beginning, Bill wanted a Boston Terrier, as
he had one from the time he was 1 year-old until he was 12. When that dog
died, his family bought another Boston. His most-loved memory of
her was the way she would grab his mom or dad's arm if they tried to spank
him.
"She would not bite
them," he says, "but would just interfere with the spanking!"
After the first time
she did that, he would run to find the dog whenever he "got into trouble".
Well, after we were married
every time we would talk about getting a dog we would hear this story.
But I always thought Boston Terriers were ugly, with their faces
that looked like they had a fight with a brick wall and lost! So, with
our 3 daughters in agreement with me, getting a Boston Terrier was
out of the question! (Bill has always said that he was out-numbered 4 to
1 with the women in his household)!
We have had a couple of
beagles, 4 poodles and poodle-mixes, and, most recently, a Yorkshire Terrier
that Bill gave to me for our 23rd wedding annniversary. I named him "Digby".
Digby was a wonderful pet, sweet, smart and funny, and we really grieved
for him when he died at the age of 13. After that, Bill renewed his
campaign for a Boston Terrier. I had made up my mind that with the girls
all grown, we did not need another dog...
and we had new
carpet! Well... every chance he got, which was usually a minimum of several
times a week, Bill would say, "If I had a Boston Terrier, it could go for
a walk with me". Or, "If I had a Boston Terrier, I would have someone to
be with me while you are on the computer," etc., etc... you get
the idea. Well, when his birthday rolled around that August, I could not
think of anything to get him that would make him as happy as a Boston Terrier
would. So I made him an online card to let him know that a Boston Terrier
would be his birthday gift! (You can read the card I made for him by clicking
here
if you want to get the full impact)!
Well, Bill's emotional
response to reading the online "card" was enough to make me feel I had
been cruel in objecting to his choice of a dog for all those
years!
To make a long story short,
we visited pet shops and kennels until we found a breeder who had 2 dogs
due to give birth. When that happened, Bill picked out his puppy
and named her
Nellie!
He had to wait 6-7 weeks for her to be ready to "bring home", but
oh, she was worth the wait! I never thought I would see the day a
when a Boston Terrier would win my heart, but miracles do happen!
After we brought her home I discovered that she is funny, loving, very
smart! The breeder, who is very experienced with Bostons, told us that
they will do
anything to make their humans happy; the trick is getting
them to know exactly what it is that will make you happy!
Nellie
experienced a bit of a challenge learning that for her to go potty outside
of the house would make us happy! 
As a puppy Nellie
went to sleep on Bill's shoulder each night, and got up with him as he
was getting ready for work each morning. On weekends, after Bill gave her
an early morning breakfast and saw that she had "potty time" outside,
she went back to bed with us, happily sleeping close to Bill under the
covers! We believe that if Nellie
could talk, the first thing she would say would be, "My happiest place
is in your face!"
UPDATE:
Nellie is now10 years
old. She is such a wonderful pet; so smart, loving and funny! She did
learn that going potty outside of the house is the right thing to do!
In fact, she knows it so well that she will do it (or at least she will
fake it) any time we say the phrase, "Go potty!"
Each person Nellie
meets is her new best friend! She greets each human she comes in contact
with as if she had waited all her life for just that person! Everyone
is a friend and potential playmate, whether it is a child at the park,
or a plumber coming to fix a faucet. (We are quite sure that burglars would
be greeted with the same unabashed enthusiasm).
She has a soft frisbee
(made for dogs) that she loves chasing, catching and shaking it violently,
and then bringing it joyfully back to the thrower.
HINT:
A 2 LITER plastic soda bottle (empty) makes a wonderful toy for
dogs... at least it does for Nellie.
For as long as you will watch her, she will roll it and push it around
the yard, finally grasping it by the lid (or by the bottom after she has
dented it enough) and bring it to you to be thrown or kicked away again.
She understands so much
of what is said to her that at times she seems almost human! She is most
definitely a wonderful part of our family. But some things never change:
"Her happiest place is
(still) in your face!"
