Doglets are My Smile of the Week

During this time of isolation and remote contact with others, I have found what brings me smiles are my two doglets. Actually, only one would be considered a doglet, and that would be the smaller of the two, Radar.

Sergio the younger and larger, doesn’t qualify for the doglet term since he is a bit too big, but it is just easier to call them both doglets. I happen to like that word, brought to my attention by my late husband.

So, I’m sharing some pictures of the two during peaceful intermissions between playfully snarling at one another and chasing down the hallway from bed to sofa.

They really are a joyful pair, and keep me entertained during these days of distancing from my human  contacts.

Neither one of these canines did I choose on my own. Both are stray, street dogs so didn’t start their lives in the most comfortable or happy way.

Radar was found chained by barbed wire to a little female dog and taken to a local woman who takes in small dogs for adoption. She picked his name Radar and named his small companion Hot Lips. I didn’t meet Hot Lips, but understand she found a home, but has had a hard time getting over PTSD. That has not been a problem for Radar.

When I visited the woman who was sheltering the little dogs, I was looking for a female poodle mix, because they do not shed and I like girl dogs. No problem, she had several of them. When I sat down, this black short-haired stranger jumped in my lap and went to sleep. I kept telling him I didn’t want a male, black, shedding species, but he was insistent.

I made a second trip to the stray dog haven, and the same thing happened. Radar found his place in my lap and calmly stayed there.

I gave up and said ‘Okay, Okay. Apparently we belong together.”

He was so calm and quiet for a one-year-old so I thought, “I’ve never had a short haired dog, nor a male, nor a black one, so why not?”

It took about 6 minutes in his new home for his personality to completely change. He was, after all, still a puppy, and wanted to chew, pee, play Constantly! He was demanding of attention, but I was really busy just trying to keep an over abundance of dog hair from choking me to death. But the bond was firm and we forged an understanding: I walked him constantly, I played with him when we weren’t walking, and he was the center of my life, like it or not.

After a year, I decided he really needed a 4 legged playmate, and not just me, since I really had chores that were not centered around him.

I mentioned to a friend that I would like another dog as a companion for Radar, and the next day a woman called and said she knew of a street dog living in a nearby vacant lot that was about 8 months old.

She said he was small. Not understanding she had a measurement impediment I suggested she bring him over and let Radar meet him.

When I opened the door, this animal, twice the size of the little one, peered in expectantly and Radar tilted his head, walked up, touched his nose and off they dashed, chasing, running, growling, playing.

I had just acquired another black, shedding, male puppy. Just what I hadn’t anticipated, but he didn’t have a home and Radar liked him.

My younger sister and I were much like these two. We played, fought, played, fought, and bonded quickly. My Mother allowed a lot of noise from us if we weren’t viciously fighting. Her favorite saying was “just because you are sisters doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, but we will live in peace.”

Turns out, my sister and I were (and are) best friends even when we were arguing.

And so are the doglets. Aside from their romping through the house, chasing each other under tables,scrapping over once-stuffed toys, and leaving a trail of short black hair everywhere, when they stop for a brief respite, they  gravitate to one another as friends do.

Thank goodness they don’t have to social distance from each other. They would not understand that rule at all.

They do bring a smile to my face, especially when they are sleeping, which is not often enough.

See other Smile of the Week pictures at https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/06/the-weekly-smile-for-4-6-2020-weeklysmile/