My Dog & Me

It's late December. I should be thinking about winter steelhead more than I am. Instead I am thinking about my dog.

Yep, my dog. A mix-breed mutt somewhere between Australian Shepherd and Border Collie. He's skittish at best, often misunderstood, and always a caution around young kids. His hair is stringy in places and smooth as silk in others. He runs fast. Real fast. Like 'I got diarrhea and need to find a potty' fast. He fetches well, but doesn't always take a command the way we envisioned him to. He ignores other dogs and follows me everywhere. He leaps at me when it's time for a walk and he never pees in the house. Mostly he's a great companion.

Saturday night found the wife and I taking the kids to the movies to see Marley & Me. I had no idea what this flick was about, I only knew it had a PG rating and Jennifer Aniston starring. Good enough, let's roll! It started out cute enough, a story about a boy and his dog. Soon it got to the relationship between the characters, but always returned to the the dog Marley and how he was a constant throughout their lives they could both relate special memories to. Marley is a fixture in their home, through moves across country, kids growing up, a stabbing next door, etc, and all the way the dog has a definitive relationship with each character. While the story is a bit mushy at times and somewhat convenient, it made me examine our dog (Chance) and how special he has become to our family. He's a constant for us, a special companion to each of us in our own way, and the one personality in our home that never judges, seems to be happy all the time, and for the most part is the lowest maintenance of all. I could stand to learn a lot from this dog. I could stand to be more joyful, less maintenance heavy, and be a better companion to all the others in the house. I am sure my wife will agree with that.

Peculiarly, I left the cinema with - get this - a tear in my eye. Grown men do cry, at least this one does, especially when it comes to a beloved hound. I won't give up the story, but let's just say that it swayed my thoughts from the river to Rover. I figured most sporting types out there could relate. Perhaps not with seeing Marley & Me, but at least relate to the special kinship we share with our canines.

I am going fishing this weekend. And I am taking the dog...