My family consists of my husband Clyde, who prefers to remain silent, three terriers and me. My husband and I refer to the dogs as the kids. When we talk about all of us in the third person, we refer to ourselves as the Dyrdogs. Well, I do. Sometimes. Those words have actually never been said out loud by Clyde.
When people ask me what it is like to live with three dogs, I tell them to think about 12 muddy feet.
Since Clyde and I have been married (an event that happened a long time ago in a decade that starts with 8) we've had a total of five dogs, all terriers. I wonder what this says about us. In another post I might someday write about our first two dogs (Raleigh and Jacey) but it would make me sad to write about them right now because they are in doggie heaven. But someday I will, as I can dredge up some good stories and not be too sad once I have a glass of wine.
Today we have Teddi, a black and tan Norwich Terrier who is 14 years old in human years , which is (14x7=98) Oh My God 98! in dog years. She can barely see, is mostly deaf and has only 6 teeth. She's very forgetful, especially that part about waiting until you are outside to pee. She worships Clyde and other than 1. eating, 2. sleeping, 3. going for a walk or 4. riding in the truck she likes to sit at his feet and stare up at him adoringly. And sometimes she also sits and gazes up at the large fantail palm in the living room with the exact same look on her face.
If you don't know what a Norwich Terrier is, did you see the movie Best in Show? If yes, picture Winky.
Terrier #2 is a Border Terrier named Tango. Do not ask me why I named him Tango. A Border Terrier is the dog that ended up in a full body cast in the movie There's Something About Mary. From now on, I am only having dogs that can be described by saying "did you see the movie..." Tango thinks being a Border Terrier is an important and full time job . Border With A Capital B means to the edges of all of the space around him that he can see and hear. Any person, car, other animal, or maybe just a shadow that appears to be breaching the perimeter of The Border must be met with really really loud barking.
Our third child is also a Border Terrier and is Tango's brother, although he arrived 15 months later in another litter. He then became Terrier #3 at our house and his name is Trio. I think you can figure out the whole naming scheme I latched on to at that point. Trio is mostly black although official Border Terrier people call him blue which I think means they (the official Border Terrier people) are color blind. At least once each day I thank god Trio does not have the extreme case of My Mission Every Waking Moment is To Be Ready To Bark affliction that Tango has.
Tango has also developed some kind of dog self esteem issue which compels him to wake up every morning and immediately feel the need to dominate his brother and remind him that he is the supreme and all powerful alpha dog and don't you ever forget it, Trio. I used to work with people who behaved just like that. Trio then spends the entire day looking hopeful that maybe TOMORROW will be the day when he is not the lowest ranking member of the pack. Teddi remains blindly (perhaps that is an unfortunate choice of word?) confident in her role as the Queen Mother of All Dogs. The Boys and virtually all other dogs just stay out of her way because of the fierceness of her 6 teeth when she does that lip curling thing.
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