Growing up, I was never a dog person. We lived in an apartment building and dogs weren’t allowed, so I never even had the desire to have one. Fast forward many years to when my son was about 18 months old and my cousin in law brought over this adore Malamute puppy. She was black and white and as cute as could be. In that moment, I wanted her to be ours and that’s when we decided to adopt a dog. We named her Nikita and she was our loyal companion until she passed away earlier last year.
Years after Nikita joined our family, we moved into a new home. It was right after Lil Man’s first birthday celebration in that home (he turned 5) and we took a trip to the pet store so that my husband could buy something with a gift certificate that he received for his birthday. While we were browsing around, we lost sight of Lil Man in this tiny little family owned pet store and went to check on him. He was in the next aisle over, rolling around on the floor with a puppy. The look in both of their eyes said it all – love at first sight. In that moment, they belonged to each other and we just couldn’t resist adding a new furry friend to our family. Almost 8 years later, they are still the best of friends and love each other unconditionally.
Gunner was a rescue dog, born into a home with 4 dogs and 5 children under the age of 6. His life was chaotic and the older dogs hurt him. By the time the adoption went through and he was able to come live with us, one of the other dogs he lived with had bitten a hole right through the scruff on the back of his neck. We had to provide daily care to the affected area and my husband spent two weeks sleeping in the living room with him. From the very beginning, Gunner was the most loving and loyal dog we could have ever asked for. Adopting him was one of the best decisions we ever made.
When I heard that Pedigree is helping shelter dogs during the month of October, I wanted to jump right in and do my part not only to help, but to spread the word as well. For every Pedigree dog product purchased at Sam’s Club, Pedigree will donate a bowl of food. So naturally, we went to Sam’s Club to join in! We found a 51 count box of Pedigree Dentastix, which is one of our dogs’ favorite treats!
Gunner couldn’t resist jumping right in while I was trying to take photos. He just knew those treats were for him and it took all of his self control to resist snatching one up.
He just sat there, patiently watching until I was finished.
Once I was finished and had put all of the treats back into the bag, I set it down on the floor and Max walked up, knocked it over and took a whiff. He’s a good boy too, so no treats were stolen from the bag.
Since they were both such good boys, acting as patient as could be expected from a canine companion, we decided a treat was in order and Lil Man got them ready to give out. Max always takes treats so nicely and he let it just sit on his nose until it was time to indulge.
But before he could grab it, Lil Man moved his hand down, Gunner came up and snagged the treat right from is hand! Just look at poor Max; he appeared to be heartbroken! Right after I snapped this priceless photo, Max got a treat of his very own though!
We are a family of dog lovers and just can’t resist the canine cuteness. My husband belongs to Max, who just cries for his daddy to get home from work every day. He clobbers him the moment he walks into the door and smothers him with hugs and kisses. Bengi is my brothers’ dog, but is most attached to the older of the two boys, following him everywhere that he goes. And Gunner, well let’s put it this way – Lil Man thinks he’s Gunner’s dad!
Dogs are wonderful companions and their love is unconditional. They need lots of love and attention, but they’ll be loyal to their owners for life. If you’re thinking about adding a furry friend to your family, I highly encourage you to check local shelters first. You never know what kind of gem you might find!
Do you have a dog? I’d love to hear your stories!