Pilates class was cancelled tonight so I went for a walk instead. It was sunny and while still cold out quite pleasant. As usual there were lots of dogs being walked. I've never had a dog myself but love them and I enjoy seeing them while walking. I love to watch the retriever types carrying some stick or whatever - they always look like they know they have the most important job in the world.
I especially love German Sheppards and Yellow Labs.
My maternal grandparents always had German Sheppards - combination of farm guard dog and family pet. Of all the dogs I remember them having Nita stands out the most. She was a fantastic dog. Now she was a guard dog and fiercely loyal to my grandfather. I'll never understand how she got to be so smart.
My grandparents lived way out in the countryside of rural New Brunswick. The approach to the house was around a sharp corner, down a hill and up a hill and then you would turn into their driveway. This meant you could see the house from a distance and of course be seen from a distance. And the roads were all gravel so you would be heard from a distance as well. As soon as Nita heard any road noise she was alert. Now there weren't many houses around so she knew there was a good chance the distant car would be coming to her house. When anyone pulled into the yard she was right there - but she started barking well before anyone got to the yard if it was a car she didn't know.
There was one friend of my grandfather's that she would not let out of his car. When he arrived in the yard he had to stay in the car - Nita went to the driver's side, barred her teeth and growled. He had to sit in the car until my grandfather gave him a personal escort out of the car. I always wondered what he ever did to make her dislike him so - there must have been a story there. Whatever it was, it was never told to us kids. I must remember to ask my mother if she knew. I have learned over the years that there are family secrets and my parents were very good at not divulging them. These days I do get the occasional story out of my mother if she is in the right mood.
My family visited my grandparents every summer. And we arrived in a different car many years - yet Nita never barked at our car. I often wondered how she knew it was us - but she did. For us kids as soon as we saw her, she was all we focused on. We tumbled out of the car and fought to get our arms around Nita first. Nita was always thrilled when any of the grandkids arrived - she knew there would be walks, sticks to retrieve, secret tubs of ice-cream to eat and kids to follow into the river. Makes me wish to be a kid again.
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