Life as a single woman in my mid-forties in rural South Georgia is not exactly what I would describe as life in the fast lane. The entire county in which I live only has a population of approximately 42,000 people, so it doesn’t offer any substantial hope of meeting my prince charming. Many times over the past eight-and-a-half years I have wondered what planet I was on when I got the bright idea to move back to Moultrie from the beautiful, sunny beaches in Sarasota, Florida. Talk about looking for love in all the wrong places. The various country smells of freshly mowed grass, freshly plowed peanuts, woods burning and rain falling on a hot summer day is about the most pleasurable excitement I normally find throughout the year, and although those amazing aromas instantly take me back to my youth, they do nothing to satisfy the natural human desire for companionship. My cat and two lovebirds filled that desire to a large degree for several years, but nothing has ever compared to the day I met my beautiful Sadie Blue.August 9, 2008 started out as just another typical summer Saturday morning. I got up early and went to play a few sets of ladies doubles tennis at the city courts, my favorite sport, followed by a nice, hot round of mowing my lawn, and then finally finding my way to my friend Leslee’s house for a few hours of swimming and sunbathing by her pool. Leslee had recently welcomed a new addition into her life: the most beautiful blue Weimaraner puppy I had ever seen. In fact, it was the first blue Weimaraner I had ever seen, and the color of her coat was almost mesmerizing. As we swam that afternoon and played with this irresistible and playful puppy, I began to ponder the possibility of getting one for myself.
Leslee and her husband own a local mercantile store that sells pet supplies, so I began to question Leslee about what items I would need in order to own a dog and their cost. Without skipping a beat, Leslee looks at me with a gleam in her eyes and says, “We can ride out to the breeder’s and look at them if you want.” I knew immediately that if we did that, I was in trouble and by sundown I would be the proud new owner of my very own blue Weimaraner. Needless to say, temptation got the best of me and sure enough, what began as just another ordinary day in the life of Sheila Doyle became a life changing day within the very short amount of time that it took for me to write and sign the check. It is a day that I shall never forget because I had no idea during those brief moments, as I closely watched a litter of 13 puppies, little bundles of explosive energy running and playing as free as the wind, how significantly my life was about to change, or how deeply my heart was about to be touched.
Leslee and her husband own a local mercantile store that sells pet supplies, so I began to question Leslee about what items I would need in order to own a dog and their cost. Without skipping a beat, Leslee looks at me with a gleam in her eyes and says, “We can ride out to the breeder’s and look at them if you want.” I knew immediately that if we did that, I was in trouble and by sundown I would be the proud new owner of my very own blue Weimaraner. Needless to say, temptation got the best of me and sure enough, what began as just another ordinary day in the life of Sheila Doyle became a life changing day within the very short amount of time that it took for me to write and sign the check. It is a day that I shall never forget because I had no idea during those brief moments, as I closely watched a litter of 13 puppies, little bundles of explosive energy running and playing as free as the wind, how significantly my life was about to change, or how deeply my heart was about to be touched.
Suffice it to say that the first week was like stepping into some sort of twilight zone. To say that I had stress would be a gross understatement. Owning a dog was a lot more responsibility and required a lot more of my time when I was home. The biggest challenges I had with my cat and two lovebirds were scooping the litter box a couple of times per day, removing cat hair from my clothes now and then, sweeping around the bird cage a couple of times per week and making sure they were all fed every day. Looking back, they required very little time and effort from me at all. Having Sadie in my life required me to be more strategic. She had to have a place to stay during the day while I go to work, which meant purchasing a pen, a dog house, and pavers to make a floor so that she could not dig out of the pen. I wanted her in the house with me when I was home so that I could spend time with her. After all, I was seeking more companionship. Little did I know that my very calm and predictable existence at home was about to be transformed into a massive whirlwind of chaos by this absolutely adorable 11 pound, gun metal gray, four-legged maniac that was making a race track out of my entire home.
Sadie ran everywhere she went. I have a long, ranch style home and she ran up and down the hall from the bedroom to the family room, around the ottoman, down the hall to the bathroom, back up the hall through the family room into the kitchen and back down the hall again over and over, her paws, still oversized for her tiny little legs, pounding the wood laminate flooring, on which she could not get much traction. She chewed or ate everything on which she could clamp her teeth, including the baseboards in the bathroom, and she would drop her little bottom and relieve herself in the blink of an eye with no warning whatsoever. I could not leave her alone for a second, which completely consumed all of my time, making it impossible for me to get anything done in the house. This was not the type of companionship I had in mind.Sleep during that first week was not an option. It was like having a baby, literally. Sadie was only eight weeks old and her life had been turned upside down just as much as mine. She was accustomed to the smell of her brothers and sisters all snuggled as close as they could get to each other, and to their mother, while sleeping. So close that they could feel each other’s heart beats and hear each other breathing. Of course, I did not have that understanding during the first week, and when I placed her inside her brand new, huge, black metal kennel with a couple of toys and turned out the lights to go to bed, you can believe that the whole neighborhood heard her discontent. The first night, I ended up sleeping with her on the sofa. The second night I put her in my bed, and on the third night, she decided to wet the bed around 4:00 a.m. At this point, I was convinced that I had made the worst mistake of my life, and I remember thinking, “Now I know why I don’t have children!”
The following Saturday, Sadie was due for her second round of shots. I’m sure the veterinarian, Dr. Anthony Matthews, must have thought I had just flown in on my broom, not only because of my tattered appearance, but because of my demeanor. Fortunately, Dr. Matthews is a very understanding man and he said, “You’ve just got a little buyer’s remorse, that’s all.” To which I retorted, “A little?” He said, “You’re probably going to have buyer’s remorse for a few months, but if you can just get through this, you’re going to have a great dog.”
I held onto his words over the coming months, but I must admit that I honestly did not see how this beautiful little puppy, that I truly loved, and I would ever be able to cohabitate together. I recall one evening sitting down in exasperation in the middle of my kitchen floor with Sadie in my lap, sobbing my eyes out and telling her how much I wanted this to work, but I just didn’t see how it could. That was over two years ago and much has changed since then. All of the mischievous things she did as a puppy have actually endeared her to me more, and they have become some of many precious memories. Each day during my drive home from work, I visualize her beautiful face as she patiently sits at the door of her pen waiting for me to come home and let her out. I smile to myself as I look forward to her warm and happy greeting, in addition to the wonderful long walks we take through the neighborhood, not to mention the way she snuggles so close to me when we sleep.
My journey with Sadie has obviously not been without its challenges. I learned a lot about myself, particularly the stress I experienced from having demands that I could not ignore made on my time. I was convinced at one point that it would never work, but today I cannot imagine life without Sadie. I love her as if I birthed her myself. Not only has she taught me the true meaning of commitment and perseverance, she has also taught me why a dog is a man’s best friend. I now understand clearly why man cherishes the love of his dog so deeply. She is my best friend and my companion.
The day I met Sadie definitely brought change into my life. The change disguised as extreme stress and chaos actually held within its bosom a most fabulous gift that continues to bless me every moment that I get to spend with Sadie, and I would go through it all again. I am so thankful that I did not give into the temptation to give up, because Dr. Matthews was right. I have a great dog!
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