It must be known: I love dogs.
Big Dogs, Medium Sized Dogs, Small Dogs. But not those tiny ones - the ones that yip instead of bark.
Why do I love dogs? Because they are fricking awesome. Unless you’re allergic or have a phobia of them - you have no idea what you’re missing!
When I was born (1989), I was born into a house with a lovely Collie called Pepper, who was a rescue dog from a local dog’s home. She was quite old - easily in her late teens (Which is really old for a dog). I loved her. I have memories of riding on her back - this could be memory lies - and hugging and playing with her. Sadly, she had problems and had to be put down out of mercy when I was really young.
During the time with Pepper came Spot. The love of my life (and not ashamed to say so). Our story is a long one. A very long one, spanning a good 12-14 years. I can’t remember the exact year we got him but I remember walking, so I must have been about 2-3 years old. Walking not that far away from where we lived to visit the home that was a friend of my mother’s who just coincidentally had puppies. One of them, a gorgeous black and white Border Collie cross Springer Spaniel, more of the Collie by far, with bits of brown on his legs and a white spot on the back of his black head/neck.
We took him home.
And I never thought of wanting anything else for the next 13 or so years.
He was my dog. Not my sisters, not my mothers and by god not the other bit of genetics I was spawned from. And by God, could he run. He ran fast like a Cheetah and forever like a horse. The amount of times we required to chase him so he didn’t get lost, hit by a car or stolen was ridiculous. If you couldn't guess, he was the dopiest, lovable-ist and softest dog ever. He wasn't aggressive to a single person or dog in my whole life. He once bit somebody, but that was well deserved and wasn't an aggressive bite.
He was always there at the end of school, lead ready to be handed over to me. Even in Infants school I could handle him well, despite his everlasting energy and excitability.
All credit to my stamina which keeps me playing sports goes to the time I spent with Spot, whether he meant it or not. And my love for dogs.
R.I.P. Spot, I’ll always love you and can't wait to see you again one day.
