My childhood dog

@sissy15 (12266)
United States
June 1, 2018 3:36am CST
I've been reading a lot of articles and seeing videos everywhere about dogs lately and it reminded me of my childhood dog. She was half husky and we are guessing half German Sheperd or so we are guessing based on her coloring. We were told she was either full husky or part German Sheperd because those were the only two dogs around where the people my dad got her from lived. My mom didn't want a dog and hated that my dad brought one home. My dog was an outside dog and she liked it that way. She hated being inside for too long. We had a chain with a wire that allowed her to run back and forth and gave her space without letting her get loose. We let her inside if the weather was too hot or cold for her. We originally let her run around the yard in a fenced in yard but she kept digging holes under the fence and escaping and that's where the wire came in so she still could run but also not get free because if she got loose she wouldn't come back until she was good and ready. She had a lot of typical husky traits. She was an escape artist and was very clever and very hyper. I remember we had to constantly check on her to make sure she didn't choke herself because she would still try to crawl under the fence and get her chain stuck and a few times she jumped on top of her dog house and over the fence. Finally, the fence got removed so she no longer had that barrier. I remember back during the fence days she would get stuck up in the tree after chasing a squirrel. I know this sounds pretty funny and it looked as funny as it sounds. We had this tree in our backyard that had sort of a low enough trunk that branched out and it was just short enough for her to jump onto and scale the branches. I used to have to go get my dad so he could get the ladder and climb up and get her. My dog was incredibly smart and used to be able to get into our kitchen with her chain attached. She used to paw open the sliding door in the kitchen that lead to our backyard I remember waking up a few times to her sitting in our kitchen chain and all waiting for us to get up and let her the rest of the way in. As I said she was mostly an outside dog but we allowed her inside a lot too especially when the weather wasn't the best. My dog loved snow though and preferred to be out in it and unless it got too cold for her she actually preferred to be out in it. She was one of the most loving friendly dogs I knew. She was always happy to see everyone but she wouldn't let anyone she didn't think should be at our home inside. She would bark and nip at them but not full out bite them. We got her when I was about 2 or 3 and I remember as a typical kid I'd dress her in my doll clothes and she would lay there and let me and never so much as nipped me. She watched over me when I was with her and didn't let anything hurt me. I remember I came across a snake as a kid and she killed it because it was trying to bit me...it was a little garter snake but at the time I was terrified and while they'll normally leave you alone I remember I got too close not knowing it was there and my dog killed it. As a kid, my dog really was my best friend. I'd spend hours outside with her and she would walk me...yes you read that right. I may have had the leash on her but she took me where she pleased and I had to follow or be dragged. If I let go of the leash she would have been gone. She always came home but she also liked roaming the neighborhood which wasn't entirely safe since we lived next to the tracks and our neighbor had a gun and would shoot other dogs who came into his yard. She didn't get loose often but when she did she'd be gone for hours before waiting for us on our doorstep ready to be let in. I remember once she was gone for almost a week and it was in the middle of winter and the snow as bad and I was so afraid she wouldn't come back and one day out of the blue she showed up and I was so happy to see her and she loved seeing us. I remember she despised the neighbor because one day while my dog was outside behind our fence and I guess he sprayed her with mace and my aunt said she saw him taunting her on occasion. This was the same guy that later made national news for killing a psychologist at a military base in Texas and I can't say I was surprised with the way he tormented my dog. My dog loved everyone BUT him and that says a lot. She once jumped out of my second story bedroom window breaking the screen and landed on all fours to get to him. I to this day am shocked she didn't injure herself. She really wanted to get to him. There were many times she went after him and he just barely escaped. Personally, I think he would have deserved it but they would have made us put her down which isn't right. My dog was just a happy fun loving dog that had the typical husky personality. I have not gotten close to another animal the way I did her. My dog was born on Halloween and died about 2 days before her 10th birthday due to a complication that I guess was normal in her breed or so the vet told us. We didn't know what was wrong with her and the vet said even if we had caught it a year early there would have been nothing they could do. I can't remember exactly what it was he said was wrong with her but I remember that day was very traumatic for me and I have never been as close to another animal since.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@JudyEv (323744)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jun 18
She sounds a really lovely dog. I'm sorry she didn't live longer so you could have had more fun with her.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12266)
• United States
1 Jun 18
Thanks, she was. It's sad but she was only a couple years off for the lifespan most dogs live. She was getting up there.
@Shavkat (136860)
• Philippines
1 Jun 18
I had my first dog. But then, some stole it.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12266)
• United States
1 Jun 18
That's too bad.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (136860)
• Philippines
1 Jun 18
@sissy15 It is really a sad story.
@sw8sincere (5206)
• Philippines
1 Jun 18
I know how you feel .. sadly i don't have a dog but a cat instead.