One day in 2007, my sweet husband rescued a seven-year old dog that would have gone to the pound the following day because his owner, an elderly woman, was moving to Florida to live with her daughter. This was a military family, who had named the dog Soldier and taught him to march in place.
It didn't take me long to fall in love with this boy. He is a needy dog, always asking for petting and reassurance.
He even turns his head to make sure I'm following him.
At the same time, he is a fierce guard dog, who doesn't miss any of the comings and goings at the large ranch next door. But when something unusual appears in the yard, Soldier stands on his love seat, stiff as a board, and quiet as a mouse.
Here we are one Christmas, me and my boy. He's happy at last.
This is how he greets me when I come back from a trip to town.
Soldier hates water, so I'm not sure if that yellow part of him and that lab tail really comes from a lab. But he loves snow and when he realized he could eat it, he loved it even more.
He loves his food too and knows where mine comes from.
Angel and Soldier play together. They are both seniors, but they don't know it, so they have fun together.
They guard together
and rest together.
Then someone else showed up, Samson! He was very tiny at first and Soldier was wonderful with him.
Soldier tells Samson this is what us big dogs do – stand in the window and bark if we see a cow or a tractor or a truck. We bark and bark until mommy tells us to stop.
Samson said he'd rather chew on Soldier's tail. No problem there – but Angel stands by, just to make sure.
Soldier gets a puppy kiss reward.
So who has the longest tongue?
Soldier teaches Samson how to beg.
Soldier has come a long way from his dog house.
Something that makes me so very happy.
I'm crazy about this dog – my husband and I have always had large and powerful dogs, none of them into kissing and petting. I've been longing for a lap dog for years—something along the lines of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – I didn't get that, instead I got Soldier. Never mind my lap dog weighs 76 pounds, he is still the only dog we've had who loves to be petted, hugged and kissed.
I love to kiss his ears and he loves it so much that after a while, he burps! I've never known a dog to burp from sheer pleasure before.
I always wanted a yellow dog. I read somewhere that it's the most common color of mixed breed dogs all over the world. I also wanted a lap dog and now I have both. And Soldier has a good home, a nice loveseat to sleep on, lots of love, food, hugs and kisses and if that's not something to burp about…..
