Protect Those You Love

And be cautious of anyone who is out to get you

"When you open your heart to a dog, you gain a protector for life. Their loyalty is their promise, their bravery their shield." ~ Unknown

Mala and Tessie

We thought this would be an appropriate topic this week because we have been taking extra care of Mom. She got new parts put into her knee because it was painful for her to run and hike with us, and to practice yoga, and she wants to be able to keep doing all of those things. She wasn’t thrilled to have surgery that would have her out of commission for weeks, but she also knew that it was what needed to be done.

Mom came home with a walker and a big bandage on her knee after being gone all day on March 11. Dad helped her get into the house and set up where she could rest comfortably with a contraption that would ice her knee for 30 minutes every hour. We were a little nervous at first about the walker and ice machine, but quickly realized they weren’t scary. We gave her lots of kisses to let her know that we were glad that she was home.

We’ve been keeping her company over these last two weeks while she’s been in recovery. We stay near her all day and cuddle when we can. The cats have been helping too. We have to sleep downstairs with Dad right now so that we don’t accidentally step on Mom while she’s asleep. We can’t wait for her to be able to do stuff with us again, but in the meantime, we’ll watch over her and keep her safe.

Ella has a lot to say about protecting your family, so we’ll turn it over to her now.

Ella

I took the job of protecting my family seriously. When I was walking with Mom, I always made sure that any dog that seemed aggressive couldn’t get too close. I would bark my deepest, scariest bark if needed. I wasn’t the type to bite, but I made sure they knew I was tough. Sometimes Mom thought I went a little overboard, and she would distract me with treats as other dogs were going by.

When I got older, Mom got me a special tag so that I could be off-leash on certain trails. When I was off leash, I was off duty and didn’t have to worry as much. I would go a little bit ahead, but never out of sight. I would stop and look back to be sure Mom was still coming and that she hadn’t gotten lost or anything. I didn’t feel the need to bark at other dogs when I was off-leash. This seemed to be a relief for Mom.

When we went to the park, Mom would sometimes lie down in the grass. That seemed like a vulnerable position for her to be in - she wouldn’t be able to see if someone was coming towards her, so I would stand guard. I stood over her, usually by her head since that was where I could be closest. She thought it was cute, I just thought it was practical and safe. I couldn’t have her being so open to attack or surprise.

When I was an only child, I would just wander around at the dog park to take in all of the smells. When Mala joined our family, I had to start paying close attention at the dog park. If another dog started bullying her, I’d be there in a flash to let them know that if they wanted to mess with her, they had to go through me. The only dog allowed to wrestle with Mala was me. I couldn’t trust that those other dogs wouldn’t hurt her. I might not have chosen to have a little sister, but once I did, it was my responsibility to protect her.

That applied to everyone in our family. It’s important to be able to read people and other dogs to know who you can allow near your loved ones, and who you should scare away.

Some humans are better than others at reading people. Mom liked to believe that most people have good intentions, so she was pretty trusting. That’s why I felt the need to watch over her so much. Once Dad was around, I didn’t have to worry as much, because he shared the duty of protecting her. But, he would lie down in the grass sometimes too, so then I needed to stand over both of them. It’s a good thing they had me around!