Being a cat lover all my life, it was a little difficult to accept
that I had allergies to cats.
But, pet-lover that I am, I considered getting a dog. Just to be sure, I checked with my vet who said I could have either a Dachshund or Poodle, both low on dander.
Who would have guessed, on that lovely summer morning, I would find the pet love of my life? Having the pick from two litters of Dachshunds -- one red colored and one black and tan -- my heart pulled me toward the litter with a kindred spirit, gentle and loving. When I reached into the
pen where the red pups were, the mom almost took off my hand! You guessed it, we got a black and tan pup!
Almost every weekend after picking our pup at the tender age of two days old, we had visiting privileges. We'd stop by, hold her teeny tiny body in the palm of the hand, and watch her squirm around making precious little moans and groans.
This little princess of a dog had to have a queenly name. There was a tug of war between the name Maya, since we both loved the poetry of Maya Angelo, and Christa, just because we loved the name! So, this cherished little piece of life became known as Maya Christa of Hannah (Hannah being her Mom's name). It was hard trying to fit her papa's name, Wizard, into her name, so we decided the name was quite long enough as it was! Such a regal name for such a itsy bitsy pup, don't you think?!
I would often tell co-workers that I worked very hard to support Maya's lifestyle! She lies around the house, listening to the soft rock station, eats, drinks, and sleeps at her whim. On cold winter nights, her blankets are warmed in the dryer before she gets into them. On stormy days, she gets held and cuddled. She doesn't like windy days, so she gets cuddled then, too. And, carrots are like treats to Maya! I once told the vet that I think we have a carrot-aholic on our hands. She dearly loves them! The vet said, "That's great! They're good for her!"
We learned many times in many ways that Dachshunds are absolutely fearless. She has no fear of heights and there's no stopping her when she's determined to jump, whether that's from the back of the loveseat or the bed. When she was younger, she'd take flying leaps off furniture, her
ears spread out like in the Flying Nun sitcom. And, when you hold her ears straight up, she looks like bat-dog! My hero, Maya Christa of Hannah!
At the vet's office once, she spotted a huge German Shepard. With no thought, Maya's hair on her back stood at attention and she growled, straining at the leash, despite the fact that dog could have had Maya as a morning snack!
Each morning, she comes running to one of us for her morning belly rub! And after that, she gets a back scratch, which, considering she's a Dachshund, takes longer than usual, having that long back!
Do we spoil her? Surely. But, we figure the benefits run two ways.
Having a pet tends to lower the high blood pressure, and, indubitably, brings great joy and uncontrollable laughter, into our lives. There are times when I'm not sure who is training whom, though!
Within the deep recesses of my mind, I suspect Maya has trained us very well! What do you think?
- Cheryl Jewett
