The Love of Doja

I heard a quotation that everyone believes that they have the best dog in the world, and none of them are wrong. 

I don't personally have a dog right now, but I do have five grandpuppies that I love for the love they give me. 

The oldest is Sophie. I went in halves on her with my ex-wife as a Christmas gift for Elliana in 2011. Sophie is a Yorkie mix who loves us all but would bark at us if we dared to hug HER Elliana! 

Though Sophie was Elliana's dog, she has lived her life with Elliana's grandmother. She is old now, and I rarely see her. I was teased when Laura and I bought her that I just paid half for my ex-wife's dog. That is essentially what happened.

Erin and Britny brought Sammi and Luna into our lives. Sammi is a Staffordshire who was in poor shape when they got her as a two-year-old rescue. With proper diet and exercise, they made her healthy and happy! 

She would not go on walks when they first got her. She was about 50 pounds of dead weight, and she wasn't budging. Erin can take her on walks now, but Britny can't. Sweet Sammi will go out on a leash, but when she is done walking, Erin carries 40 pounds of dead weight home!

I always give Sammi special attention when I am at Erin and Britny's home. I make sure that she knows that I see her, and I love her. 

I have to give her my love when I arrive because Luna has no problem pushing other animals out of the way so that she can get any attention that is to be paid to all the animals! 

Luna is a three-legged ball of energy dressed up to look like a part-pit mix. She is absolutely the cuddliest of the five. She is willing to let me hug her for several minutes while we look at each other, with only love light emanating from her eyes!

Moxie came next. She is a chiweenie mix and is just about the perfect dog! She reminds me of the dog that was used by a chain of taco restaurants, and Moxie is my favorite "taco dog" that has ever lived or will ever live! 

She loves me so much that I am fourth on her favorite people list, falling behind Ricky, Candace, and Gemma, respectively. 

Then there is Doja. She is Moxie's companion dog. She, too, is a chiweenie mix, but she looks much more like a mini shepherd than she does a chihuahua. 

Doja is nothing special. She is the oddball of the group. She tries so hard to be like Moxie, but she has this clumsy personality that Moxie takes advantage of. She is constantly competing with Moxie for attention, but Moxie gets a lot of attention just because she is the perfect dog. Moxie stands up as if to say I am here, while Doja runs to get a toy to show you what she has.

The worst thing about Doja is that she will piddle when I try to pet her. I have to walk through the house, out the back door, and onto the lawn, before I can bend down to pet Doja. She will be piddling when I do! 

Doja wants so badly to be loved like Moxie, but even Candace confesses that Moxie is so perfect and lovable that she is like the favorite child. It isn't that we don't all love Doja, but she has never caught up with Moxie in perfection.

If Doja is special, she is special in that she would be on the short bus to school, if she were human.

However, no dog has ever loved me more than Doja loves me. Even when I add in Snort, Rocky, and Chance -- dogs that I had along the way -- no dog has ever shown me the love that Doja shows me. I am her favorite person in the world, including the people she lives with. 

She went so far under the bed one night that Candace couldn't reach her. She tried coaxing her out with treats and lures. Finally, she said, "Papa's here," and Doja went racing to the door. 

Moxie was on the bed and went racing there, too, because they both know me by name! She laughed when she told me the story, but, by then, Doja had already begun showing me that her love for me was the purest love any dog has ever had for me. 

She is learning to be calm. She lets me lie down next to her when she is letting me rub her belly. Then we look at each other in the eyes and I see the love she has for me as her favorite person in the world! 

I call it the love of Doja!