My Friend (Dog) Dunhill
In May 2002, my wife, Karen, came home with some news. We had said goodbye to our Cindy who was so full of cancer. I wasn’t sure I wanted another dog. But with this news I was ready to check it out.
Someone had an 8 year old English Springer Spaniel. I wasn’t at all familiar with the breed. We went over to the house. The owner had died and a lady named Ginger, a friend of the family had him flown here to California all the way from New Jersey. His name was Dunhill (pretty classy) and he couldn’t stop moving except momentarily for a biscuit. We took him home with Ginger’s approval.
I learned right away that Dunhill was a headstrong boy. I even got myself bit by mishandling him (my fault entirely.) But from then on we grew to be the best of friends.
We hadn’t had a dog in the house before but Dunhill soon persuaded us to make an exception for him. He first slept in the hallway but later on would sleep in our bedroom. He took naps with me on the bed. He taught us about counter surfing. He took over a chair by the front door to watch for us. He decided on his territory from fence to creek. If he saw a dog on the other side of the creek, out he’d go trying to look all big and bad. Don’t come over here. This is where I live! (more…)