Simon was an unforgettable member of our family for a year. A black lab and boxer mixed dog who came from the animal shelter. I’m still not sure whether Maddie picked him or if he picked her. I just know that the way he looked in her eyes and the way she looked at him was something special. He was a rough and tumble dog with everyone else but with Maddie he was more gentle than I have ever seen a dog. He would eat popcorn out of her fingers never letting his teeth touch her. He was protected her. In the house or outside, his place was directly in front of her wheelchair.
Simon also was attention seeking. He truly thought he was the center of the universe! When someone sat, it must be to watch or pet him. He would sit expectantly at the person’s feet , looking to catch the person’s eye. If that failed, he scooted closer and laid his head across the thigh looking up with the most pitiful eyes. Rarely did anyone fail to fall victim to those bleating brown eyes. On the occasions when the person still failed to provide the attention Simon craved, he would turn his head and nip the inner thigh resulting instant attention! He did not seem to mind that it was negative attention, it was attention.
One rainy Indiana afternoon, we were gathered in the family room. Maddie recovering from yet another infection was snuggled in her pajamas and blankets on daybed. From her favorite spot she could watch anything happening in the family room, dining room, or out the window. A movie was playing on the TV and I was camped at the dining room table trying to finish some work on the laptop. Simon was bursting with puppy energy and enthusiasm. He really needed to go outside and run around for a while but outside this day was a soggy, rainy mess.
I played a few rounds of Simon’s version of go fetch. I threw the tennis ball from the dining room through the kitchen into the living room. Simon enthusiastically charged after the ball returning with it firmly clinched in his teeth his tail wagging his body in anticipation. As soon as I reach for the ball, Simon took off fully expecting me to chase him. After chasing him for a short time, I returned to my chair. Simon ran back and dropped the ball at my feet. I threw the ball through the kitchen again and the game was repeated. Occasionally during the game, Simon would actually let me grab the slobber soaked ball while he held it in his mouth for a round of tug-a-war with the ball. Long before Simon was ready to stop, I tried to send him away so I could get back to my work on the computer.
Simon wanted to play. He stood beside my chair looking so pitifully at me with his big brown eyes. I sent him away. He came back with his wet tennis ball dropping it at my feet so it landed with a thud and a short bounce. I sent him away. He came back with his three pronged rubber UIO (unidentified object). I sent him away. He returned and dropped his doll at my feet. I sent him away. Next he added his tug-of-war rope to the pile at my feet. I sent him away.
With all Simon’s toys in a pile at my feet and Simon lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, I was finally able to concentrate on the project on the computer screen. I was deep in thought when I felt Simon’s head in my lap. He had climbed under the table positioning himself in and on the pile of toys at my feet. He looked up at me with those big brown eyes, begging for me to play. I sent him away. He climbed out from under the table standing squarely a foot away from my chair and barked in protest.
In growing frustration, I commanded, “Go lay down!”
In my mind that meant that he would go to his bed under the window in the family room and lay down. He knew the command well. Normally he would follow the command slowly with no tail wagging. But this time Simon just looked at me. I looked back. “Go lay down!” I repeated.
Simon continued to stare at me. And I stared right back. We were in the midst of a standoff. I was annoyed! I issued the command one more time, my voice louder and angry. Simon just looked at me like a defiant teenager. And that sent me over the edge! How dare this dog refuse to follow my command! One way or another, his was going to “go lay down.”
I stood up still trying to stare the dog down. He didn’t move a muscle. Fine! Without really thinking about what I was doing, I put one arm in front of his front legs and on arm behind his back legs. I picked up all 45 pounds of Simon and carried him to his bed. “I said, GO LAY DOWN!” I informed the wayward dog as I placed him firmly in the middle of the bed.
Suddenly I heard a noise from behind me. Maddie was choking. I ran to Maddie but Simon beat me to her. I had never heard her make a noise like that. Her airway must be blocked. I looked closely trying to see if any air was making its way to her lungs. I reached to pick her up and then stopped. She was not choking. The noise she was making had changed. It wasn’t coming from her throat. It looked like it was coming from her belly. No, she was not choking. She was laughing! Truly laughing!!
I stood there in shock for a moment. I realized from her place on the daybed, she had a front row seat to watch the standoff between her mom and her dog. Maddie’s noise changed from a belly laugh to the giggles of an eight year old girl. I stared laughing, too. And tears ran down my face. For the first time I heard my daughter laugh! It was a gift! A holy gift!
Simon also was attention seeking. He truly thought he was the center of the universe! When someone sat, it must be to watch or pet him. He would sit expectantly at the person’s feet , looking to catch the person’s eye. If that failed, he scooted closer and laid his head across the thigh looking up with the most pitiful eyes. Rarely did anyone fail to fall victim to those bleating brown eyes. On the occasions when the person still failed to provide the attention Simon craved, he would turn his head and nip the inner thigh resulting instant attention! He did not seem to mind that it was negative attention, it was attention.
One rainy Indiana afternoon, we were gathered in the family room. Maddie recovering from yet another infection was snuggled in her pajamas and blankets on daybed. From her favorite spot she could watch anything happening in the family room, dining room, or out the window. A movie was playing on the TV and I was camped at the dining room table trying to finish some work on the laptop. Simon was bursting with puppy energy and enthusiasm. He really needed to go outside and run around for a while but outside this day was a soggy, rainy mess.
I played a few rounds of Simon’s version of go fetch. I threw the tennis ball from the dining room through the kitchen into the living room. Simon enthusiastically charged after the ball returning with it firmly clinched in his teeth his tail wagging his body in anticipation. As soon as I reach for the ball, Simon took off fully expecting me to chase him. After chasing him for a short time, I returned to my chair. Simon ran back and dropped the ball at my feet. I threw the ball through the kitchen again and the game was repeated. Occasionally during the game, Simon would actually let me grab the slobber soaked ball while he held it in his mouth for a round of tug-a-war with the ball. Long before Simon was ready to stop, I tried to send him away so I could get back to my work on the computer.
Simon wanted to play. He stood beside my chair looking so pitifully at me with his big brown eyes. I sent him away. He came back with his wet tennis ball dropping it at my feet so it landed with a thud and a short bounce. I sent him away. He came back with his three pronged rubber UIO (unidentified object). I sent him away. He returned and dropped his doll at my feet. I sent him away. Next he added his tug-of-war rope to the pile at my feet. I sent him away.
With all Simon’s toys in a pile at my feet and Simon lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, I was finally able to concentrate on the project on the computer screen. I was deep in thought when I felt Simon’s head in my lap. He had climbed under the table positioning himself in and on the pile of toys at my feet. He looked up at me with those big brown eyes, begging for me to play. I sent him away. He climbed out from under the table standing squarely a foot away from my chair and barked in protest.
In growing frustration, I commanded, “Go lay down!”
In my mind that meant that he would go to his bed under the window in the family room and lay down. He knew the command well. Normally he would follow the command slowly with no tail wagging. But this time Simon just looked at me. I looked back. “Go lay down!” I repeated.
Simon continued to stare at me. And I stared right back. We were in the midst of a standoff. I was annoyed! I issued the command one more time, my voice louder and angry. Simon just looked at me like a defiant teenager. And that sent me over the edge! How dare this dog refuse to follow my command! One way or another, his was going to “go lay down.”
I stood up still trying to stare the dog down. He didn’t move a muscle. Fine! Without really thinking about what I was doing, I put one arm in front of his front legs and on arm behind his back legs. I picked up all 45 pounds of Simon and carried him to his bed. “I said, GO LAY DOWN!” I informed the wayward dog as I placed him firmly in the middle of the bed.
Suddenly I heard a noise from behind me. Maddie was choking. I ran to Maddie but Simon beat me to her. I had never heard her make a noise like that. Her airway must be blocked. I looked closely trying to see if any air was making its way to her lungs. I reached to pick her up and then stopped. She was not choking. The noise she was making had changed. It wasn’t coming from her throat. It looked like it was coming from her belly. No, she was not choking. She was laughing! Truly laughing!!
I stood there in shock for a moment. I realized from her place on the daybed, she had a front row seat to watch the standoff between her mom and her dog. Maddie’s noise changed from a belly laugh to the giggles of an eight year old girl. I stared laughing, too. And tears ran down my face. For the first time I heard my daughter laugh! It was a gift! A holy gift!
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