Today is my birthday! One year ago today, my husband gave me a darling fluffy puppy for my birthday. She was eight weeks old and looked like a stuffed animal. Ruby is a birthday gift that keeps on giving. She’s become my cute little canine companion and keeps me company when I’m writing. Initially, she liked to lay on my chair behind me, serving as a warm lumbar pillow. But she swiftly outgrew that post…literally. Now, she lays under my desk and serves as a foot warmer. In the alternative, she drags her dog bed to the railing at the top of the stairs so she can simultaneously keep an eye on me and monitor the action downstairs. I don’t think her strategic positioning is motivated by her adoption of the police motto (“protect and serve”) as much as her FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Ruby loves everyone – dogs and people alike. If a burglar entered our home, she’d probably lick them and give them a free pass as long as they scratched her belly. But I’m okay with that. We didn’t expect our mini goldendoodle to be a ferocious guard dog, just a sweet lovable pup, which she is in spades.
I was raised with German Shepherds. One of them was only five days older than me. We grew up together. She became my pal and protector. When we bought our first house, my husband and I got a German Shepherd puppy and an orange tabby kitten. The cat was more the “alpha dog” than the pup, even when the dog grew larger. Later, when we had a house full of kids, we decided to get a Golden Retriever. Sundance had a sweet temperament and was very patient with the antics of our rowdy children. The dog in my mystery series was modeled after her. When our beloved pet passed away, we got another Golden Retriever and named her Sundance II in her honor (and because we weren’t very creative with names).
Over the past year, Ruby has become more than a pet, she’s become a part of our family.
