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Was My Sweet Puppy Sent by a Dog From Heaven?
Olive, my sweet dog My friend once told me my dog Olive was sent to me by my dog Arrow. Arrow passed away about a month before Olive came into our lives. My friend speculated that Arrow knew I was upset about his passing and he wanted to console me with another mixed breed dog. Olive was a wiggly puppy, abandoned by the side of the road on New Year’s Day and found by a kind soul in the Seattle area. She was skinny and filthy and had fleas. But with a good bath and a lot of love, she recovered. In fact, once she landed in our house, she thrived.
Not a Reincarnation but Eerily Similar
Normally, I wouldn’t believe that a deceased dog could send a new dog to earth but there are a few uncanny similarities between Arrow and Olive. First, Arrow and Olive are both almost identically colored. Solidly orange-tan. The hair is similar length, medium, German Shepherd style. Though Arrow was part Dingo and had pointy ears, Olive is probably part terrier and has floppy ones. Second, they both have white patches on their chests and paws. And third, they smell exactly alike. My husband and I used to say Arrow smelled fresh, like hay, and Olive smells the exact same way. Fresh and like hay.
Arrow, my sweet love of 17 years I had a deep attachment to Arrow. He was the coolest. Our friends used to say he had a special soul because he could hold a person’s gaze for a long time. He was soft and loyal and beautiful. He lived to almost 17 and when he died, I felt crushed. I thought we’d be together forever.
But not more than a month after he died, Olive popped up on a neighborhood list in need of a home. I ignored the mail for 4 or 5 days, thinking someone would swipe up the cute Shepherd mix. But no one did. That’s when I knew I had to check her out. When I visited her foster home, she nipped her little puppy teeth at my hand and tumbled around, wanting to play and follow me everywhere. I knew it was meant to be. So I took her home and now at almost 8 years old, she’s been our sweet puppy ever since.
Twins of Happiness
I’m not inclined to think heaven or hell exists but I do wonder at the work of the universe, whether some consciousness aligned events for me. Arrow brought joy to my world. And now Olive brings joy. And so, I’ll try to not over analyze and simply cherish the present experience of having known and knowing these two lovely doggie souls.
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Zeke the Dog: My Very Own Direwolf
I had a busy and wonderful day today. Now I’m ready to fall asleep but before I do, I thought I’d do a quickie post about my dog Zeke. He’s big and black with pointy ears and a pointy nose, a Belgian Shepherd mix who stands as high as my mid-thigh. He has a direwolf nickname because he looks as imposing and wild as one.
Sweet Siblings
Zeke was a shelter dog. He was about six months old when we got him and when we brought him home, chaos ensued. He barked at any “intruders” and tried to herd the kids. He was alert and super smart. I never had to train him because if I gave a command just a few times, he understood and obeyed. On meeting our female dog, Olive, he wagged his tail and ran hard with her, barking and yelping with joy. They’d chase crows across the yard, watch for squirrels, bark at the calls of other dogs. For years, they tore apart one section of lawn with their wrestling until I used a temporary fence to block it off. They brought the hijinks inside too. I’ll never forget when their rough housing knocked over a lamp and crashed its ceramic shade to bits. They had the most comically shocked look on their faces. It was insane and delightful.
Fading to Black
At night, when I let him out to go potty, he trots down the steps and fades into the night. Completely disappears. If I want to find him, I have to get out the flashlight and connect with his glowing dog eyes. This has spawned the nickname Shadow, which I think of as his Game of Thrones name. If he were a part of that world, that’s who’d be, almost like Ghost’s opposite. Though in personality he’d be just as loyal and dedicated. He’s a gem.
Zeke and Olive on watch
