My first baby

My first child was a difficult one.  She loved me so unconditionally and caused all sorts of havic on my life!  She is my chocolate lab, Reagan.  She, in alot of ways, led me to my current family! Everyone told me as a single girl living in Indianapolis that I needed to get a dog in order to meet men.  Technically she is the reason I met my husband.  We went on walk after walk (not to meet men but because this dog had alot of energy), we visited many a dog park and even did some training classes but never expected to meet my future husband 2 1/2 hours away in the vet clinic for her puppy shots!  My parents had gotten Reagan's litter mate, a huge male chocolate lab named Lincoln.  When I was home for the weekend we made an appointment for their checkups together and there was the love of my life there to take care of my little pup.  Funny enough, he had a chocolate lab female that was only 4 months older than mine!  I have always loved dogs, always!  I couldn't wait to get a pup of my own and boy was she a challenge.  She hated her crate and nearly got me evicted from my dog friendly apartment complex.  I got a dog walker to come in while I worked...not enough.  The dog walker offered to watch her at her place but that got to be too much so I found a doggie daycare that cost me $25 a day while I worked a 12 hour shift.  Luckily, I only worked 3 days a week!  She loved it.  At her vet visits her handsome vet would say she was just going through the equivilant of teen years and she would grow out of her severe separation anxiety.  I guess even the most brilliant vets can be wrong once!!!  He, after living with her and watching her tear through doors, jump tall fences and destroy things to get to us, admitted that he may have underestimated her seperation anxiety!  This rotten lab is now 10, she has seen me through so many hard times. 

She has endured so much with me and I love her so.  She is gray in alot of places and still can't bear to be away from me for very long but she is such a cool dog.  She was overly jealous of Matt's lab but grew to love her and when we lost her she was devasted.  She looked for her for weeks when it was time to go outside or to eat.  She moved in to my little house with me and then took on Matt and his dog, Ellie.  She watched as we had a new baby.  This worried me so but she was so sweet and actually was loving and protective of her kiddos.  Then she took on two more little ones.  She sleeps at my feet every night and is always ready for attention!  It's funny how she sort of became Matt's dog so quickly but she has been my dog since day 1.  I hope to have many more years with her but her age definately shows.  She is pretty stubborn and I say often that she won't give up without a fight.  So, yes, she was my first baby but she brought me to my husband that started our little family and I love how God made that work.  We will always be best of friends!

Posted by Heather Brewer Hill