My pet ...

Do you ever wonder why people carry on conversations with animals as though they can completely understand what's being said to them? I really think my dog understands most of what I say. He sleeps in a dog bed, but it's on my bed. He goes walking with me, rides in a dog car seat, and goes to work with me. He has such a hard life lol.

I never thought I'd be "one of those people", with a dog. But Char is smart! He knows the names of my kids, he knows what it means when I say "it's time to go to work", "do you need to go outside", "it's time to go to bed", and his favorite is "where's Pumpkin?" Pumpkin is my 16 year old cat, that until having Char in his life, lived a life of freedom inside my house. Thanks to doggie gates, he does have areas he can escape to and hide from Char the Terror. Due to Pumpkin's age, he's now given in and allows Char to lick his ears, and occasionally you can hear a purr.

My dog is my protection, he may only be 12 pounds of fur, but he has a keen eye and a sharp bark if he senses trouble. He makes sure that stray cats & squirrels are aware of his presence. I also trust Char's judgment of my dates, there have been a few he didn't like and he was so right in that area! One guy suggested it was him or the dog, well - obviously Char won that fight lol. I don't dress Char in outfits or with bows, he's just a dog (but don't tell him he's only a dog - he thinks he is more than that).

A few months after I got Char, my mom went in the hospital for almost two weeks. She was able to come home for a few hours and I was up at her house with Char. He jumped up on her hospital bed, she turned and said "there's the crazy dog". I think that's something I'll never forget, because it wasn't too long after that she started to leave us. Within a few hours we were back at the hospital for the last time but the memory of her remembering how crazy Char really is - will stay with me forever.

Yea he is crazy at times, but he makes me laugh, listens to my crazy stories, and he forces me to go walking with him. My den is full of doggy toys & chew toys, but life without Char wouldn't be the same. He's waiting for me when I come home from a date, to listen to my tales of how it went, and how I vent about things in my life. He may not have a vocal opinion, but he does seem to listen.

He may be a little crazy - but he's my crazy dog, Charcoal.