Sweet Lamb Chop

I've bored you all to tears with my endless talks about the insane dog who currently resides in my house (yeah, the Beware of Dog sign? Not at all for show. Courtney went down in to my basement with me a couple weeks ago and Domino {who's met Courtney before and LOVED her} stood up and started growling and barking. NOT KIDDING. Beware of my dog.)

Now it's time for me to talk about other dawgs I've known and loved.

First up is Lamb Chop. She was a dog we adopted from the Human Society in Minneapolis when I was, I dunno, 5? 6? Her name, honest to goodness, was Lamb Chop. We decided to call her L.C. I have a vague memory of my mom saying it would be a COLD day in hell when she called that dog Lamb Chop.

L.C. was a Cocka Poo, a mix between Cocker Spaniel and Poodle. She was a great dog. She didn't shed and she was gentle with me, since I was not at all gentle with her.

She also had a voracious appetite for, well, let's say personal garments of my mother. I think Holly lost a few personal garments, too. And L.C. also ate one (or was it 2, Mom?) of the mouth guards Mom had for teeth grinding.

After L.C. went to Doggie Heaven, we got Kirby.

Kirby was a Springer Spaniel and was named for Kirby Puckett.

I have a very clear memory of watching the Twins in their 1991 World Series games. Kirby was sleeping on my lap and when Kirby Puckett hit a home run, Mom and I smothered Kirby with hugs and pats and kisses. He was confused, but grateful as always.

Kirby was, unfortunately, a one-dog kind of dog and the introduction of my future Dad into our lives came with his two dogs, Keyshia and Emily. Emily had knee surgery soon after Mom and Dad started dating and came to stay with us during her recovery. That pretty much sent Kirby over the edge.

One night, Dad reached down to pat Kirby as they were heading to bed. It had been a completely peaceful night. Until Kirby bit down on Dad's hand and wouldn't let go. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever witnessed. Kirby did eventually let go. He spent the night in the basement and was sent soon thereafter to live with my sister.

He lived out his days with Holly, eventually moving with her and her husband to San Fransisco. They live in a 3rd floor walkup and as Kirby got older, he couldn't navigate the stairs. My brother-in-law Mike would carry Kirby up and down the stairs, all 50-ish pounds of him, several times a day so that he could go outside.

Mike and I talk a lot about Domino and the part he plays in our girls' lives. He is their buddy. He is so incredibly patient with them. He puts up with Lucy's ham-handed attempts at petting, which is more hitting and less caress than he'd prefer. And if he doesn't like something they do to him? He gets up and walks away. Usually with a groan, but even still, I couldn't ask for a better response from my behaviorally challenged dog.

If you are a dog person, or if the pet thing isn't your thing, you should check out Burger King's pets. They have the iDog, which doesn't even require food or walking! That's a pretty great pet! They come in the BK Kid's Meal and are available in several varieties.

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp.