Celebrating Our Furry Friends

Attention, all dog lovers: it’s National Dog Month. August is devoted to celebrating our furry, four-legged best friends. How did I not know that? I’ve had a dog in my family for practically my entire life. Certainly, my entire married life minus a few weeks. Nonetheless, our dogs will be glad to hear about this (and will probably take advantage of it!)

For many, like myself, dogs are not just pets – they are part of the family. I will go so far as to say that the Allen family is not complete without a dog. And not just any dog – a large dog. Parky and I have discovered that we favor larger breeds. Even when we adopted shelter dogs, we chose the larger breed.

A Little Dog History

According to the American Kennel Club, there are 201 dog breeds, while the European Federation Cynologique Internationale recognizes 360 breeds. Since dogs are the most common pets in the world, it makes sense to have an entire month celebrating them. They make our lives better by offering unconditional love.  

National Dog Month was established in 2020, which includes National Dog Day on August 26. OK then, I guess that’s why I’m just now learning about it. Milk-Bone started the tradition—a big woof-out to them.  

Dogs bring boundless joy, unmatched loyalty, sweet companionship, and endless smiles. They have an undeniable impact on our lives, regardless of whether they are working dogs, rescue dogs, therapy pets, or bed snugglers. They find their way into our hearts.

Reflections of Previous Woofers

God gave them a much shorter lifespan than He did us. Maybe that’s because it allows us to share love with several dogs in our lifetime. Many of us recall dogs from our childhood. Herr Vunder was one of those for me. Named by my mother, he was supposedly of the Feist breed, but there was no proof to support this claim. I think Mother and Daddy got him from a litter the babysitter had. It didn’t matter.

Herr Vunder and I had many private “listenings” as he willingly sat in my lap on the patio steps. Vunder was more than Mr. Wonder to me; he was Mr. Wonder-ful! He never argued, and I liked how he followed me around. He let me hug and squeeze him at will. His fur absorbed many a tear. Vunder was fine living outside. I made him a soft bed in the carport when it was extra cold. Herr Vunder’s only flaw was that he liked to chase cars. Not once, but twice, the cars won the chase and put him in a leg cast. Surprisingly, he lived through the chases only to pass in his older age from a heart condition. 

Currently, Parky and I have two Irish Setters. Rio is 9 years old; O’Kelley is almost 11 months old. Still a puppy through and through. Our two are part of our everyday lives, sometimes joining us on vacation or day trips. It is not uncommon for Parky to take them into retail stores or ride around with him in the truck. We can’t envision our lives without them, or at least some kind of dog.

Talking about dogs makes me think of our precious O’Malley. He was our first Irish Setter, blazing the trail for O’Kelley. O’Malley was four months old when he came to live with us. He was the first to go to the beach. He also went on an 18-mile hike with Parky in one day. O’Malley was the most gracefully aging dog we ever had, courageously going up and down our basement stairs and the stairs to our bedroom on the second level. He did not ask for assistance. Few days ever went by when O’Malley didn’t get a walk, though he got slower and slower, panting with every step. His beloved truck rarely left the driveway without him in it.

O’Malley was the epitome of loyalty and love. In his older age, he survived a bout of pneumonia that took us by surprise. We did not expect him to recover after taking him to the emergency vet clinic where he stayed overnight. Two years later, O’Malley made it clear that he was ready to go. I will always remember the day.

We don’t deserve dogs, but by God’s Hand and lovingkindness, we are blessed to have them.

National Dog Month not only provides a time to honor our pups, but it also gives us a chance to serve the canine community. When was the last time you donated to or volunteered for your local animal shelter? Now is the purr-fect time. Oops! Wrong species. But they need our help, too.