Jacob's new puppy Cache with his sister, Sarah's new puppy Willow.
Both five months old on September 20, 2020.
I have no grandchildren yet, but I do have an abundance of grand-puppies! While I choose not to have pets at this time in my life--preferring the freedom to come and go as I like without paying for kennels or pet-sitters--I grew up with a variety of pets from early childhood, ranging from cats, dogs, and birds to fish, turtles, hamsters, and hermit crabs. I've always felt that having responsibility for creatures who love and trust them is an important experience for children.
My own children have had pets since we bought our house in 1993. Sarah was three and Jacob had just turned two (Dylan didn't come along until four years later) when we got our first pet, a kitten named Kudu. A few months later, she was joined by a huge five-week-old puppy we named Rambo, who deserves an entire book of his own for the many adventures he introduced into our lives!
They were followed over the years by many, many more cats (up to five at a time) and three more dogs (Cujo, Astro, Diego), as well as rabbits (Likki, Cocoa, Dusty, Rosie), hamsters, guinea pigs, a turtle, and a stint of chinchilla-sitting of the class chinchilla during a school holiday, when Jacob was awarded that honor. We watched the births of kittens multiple times; rescued feral kittens born under our house to a stubborn Manx whose owners we'd bought the house from; won ribbons for showing rabbits in 4-H Club; and sadly established a pet cemetery in our backyard as we mourned the passing of beloved pets through the years.
Oct 16, 2018: Sarah enjoys Jacob's pool with Jacob's dog, Lucky.
(Little Razz is also in the picture, jumping up on Sarah, behind Lucky.)
Lucky was about four then, so he must be six now.
It's safe to say that my kids' love for animals continues in their hearts today. I actually think Sarah's first complete sentences as a toddler were "Is your dog nice?" and "Can I pet him?" when we'd meet dog-walkers in the park. In nine years of marriage, she and Chris have had three cats and a beloved guinea pig, Frodo, who passed away recently. Soon after their wedding, they adopted our family dog, Diego, after my abusive second husband punched him in the muzzle and slammed his face into a metal door because Diego had scratched the door to be let in during a thunderstorm, which always frightened him. (Diego had been an indoor dog until I married the jerk, who banned him from the house.) Sarah and Chris now have two pooches, Diego and Willow, and a sweetly contrary calico cat named Rosie.
When Jacob married six years ago, they acquired a puppy they named Lucky, who has an interesting look with his heterochromia (one eye is bright blue). After the divorce three years ago, Jacob got to keep Lucky. Then Jacob adopted a one-year-old rescue pup, probably a "chipin" (chihuahua and mini-pinscher mix), whom he named Razzmatazz. About three months ago, Jacob's newest puppy, Cache, made them a trio of pooches.
Meanwhile, Dylan and Jake had decided to remain without pets after the devastating, unexpected loss of their adored cat, Zelda, and their snake. It's heartbreaking to lose pets who've become family, especially when they're so young.
September 7, 2020 : Razz has a new home at age three.
He has the cutest little overbite you'll ever see!
However, with three dogs on Jacob's hands now, Dylan and Jake volunteered to take Razz as their own. He's a tiny little thing, doesn't bark much, and was well-suited for apartment living. More importantly, Dylan and Jake had fallen in love with him during their frequent visits to Jacob's house in Mesa. Jake, who'd never believed he'd want to own a dog, felt a strong connection to this little guy. As you can see in the picture above, he loves his new home and family (although he still goes wild when he sees Jacob, too). Razz has become a favorite subject of Dylan's camera!
June 7, 2020: Willow (in pink) and Cache at a stop in Payson, Arizona, en route to
Willow's new home in Pinetop-Lakeside when they were seven weeks old.
Fast forward to June 7th, three months ago, when Jacob's neighbor in Mesa had a large litter of puppies to give away. One of Jacob's former roommates took one, and Jacob took two: a male for himself and the lone female of the litter to give his sister, Sarah. The next day, he put both seven-week-old pups in his Jeep and drove them three hours to my house, where he surprised the heck out of Sarah with her new fur-baby. Jacob named his cuddly ball of fluff Cache, and Sarah named her fuzzy little ball of energy Willow.
The puppies' father is a German shepherd and the mother (owned by the same family) was also believed to be a shepherd, but apparently she has a few surprises in her. It appears that both puppies, especially Willow, have all the characteristics of a Belgian malinois, a breed that's very similar to German shepherds and also highly prized working dogs for the military and law enforcement. Several people have identified Willow as malinois, including Sarah's vet. (None of us had ever heard of that breed before!)
July 27, 2020: At three months, Willow was growing fast, but still a little gal
compared to her newly adopted big brother, Diego (who has the patience of Job).
Most puppies grow quickly, but Willow seemed to double in size every time I saw her...and I saw her several days each week! Due to living so far away, I only saw Cache a couple of times over the summer, but I became a puppy sitter for Willow on the days that Sarah and Chris both had to work, until she was old enough to be left home alone (just three weeks ago).
Their first experiment in leaving Willow alone when she was about ten weeks old was frightening. When Sarah went home at lunch to check on her, Willow had gotten her head wedged between the house and the gate. A neighbor had to tie a chain to the gatepost and bend it away with his car to free her stubborn little head! Luckily, both the post and the pup were okay after the experience, but that's when I volunteered to puppy-sit temporarily. When Sarah tried leaving her again a few weeks ago, she destroyed a screen on one of the windows, trying to get inside, but she has since adjusted and seems to be taking mummy and daddy's absences in stride.
September 12, 2020: Still a week away from being five months old,
Willow is 36 pounds and almost as tall as thirteen-year-old Diego.
Cache and Willow are five months old now, and last week they were reunited when Sarah and Chris decided to spend a weekend in Mesa to visit some family and enjoy a swim in Jacob's pool. At first Willow was afraid of her brother, but she soon overcame the fear in favor of scrambling around the house, chasing each other.
September 20, 2020: Cache on the left, Willow on the right with the collar.
They still look very similar. Cache is slightly larger and bulkier. Willow's muzzle is more pointed and her face markings are darker. Their personalities are still polar opposites. Cache is quite mellow and cooperative, whereas Willow is stubborn and has more energy than she knows what to do with. But they're both extremely smart and trainable.
Most of all, they're beautiful and they're loved. They have already become an integral, beloved part of our wider family of fur-babies.
September 20, 2020: Cache in front, Willow in back.
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