Why My Dog is a Great Companion

I was mulling over the fact that I've never been really happy in life without a dog .

Dogs are special to me! Dogs are not just something I own like a TV or car. Of course they are living creatures that makes them special but to me a dog is simply part of who I am. I guess that makes me a special kind of human too.

For some people dogs are for commanding to do this or that or to train to help in some human field of endeavor , Seeing Eye dogs, Service dogs, Rescue dogs , Drug dogs, to name just a few are in every way noble examples. but just to make others admire my "Masterly" handling of dumb beast or to win dog show prizes for acclaim or whatever it is that makes such prizes sought after , has never been my aim. Yes my dog is trained. But mostly to make him a good citizen living with myself and others.

For me a dog is simply to be with. I enjoy sitting and doing what ever I'm doing under the watchful eye of another living being. One that seems to care weather I am there with my dog so much that he follows me from room to room for what seems like the shear pleasure of being with me. Maybe that makes me a bit self centered, but its me.

All I know is that...

After a long walk with the dog my world seems just a bit more balanced, even if it was near falling apart a few moments before. When I put my little dog on the chair in front of me for a brushing ... all seems right in my little half acer of the globe. When he looks up at me and seems to smile ( all in my mind you say ?) I feel good about life again even if my life is not picture perfect in any other way.

Well maybe it is all in my mind, but it he makes me feel calm and happy and all in one piece.

I've never been a fussy dog owner. Even when I owned a pure breed dog I would never consider showing him or her in a dog show. Nor could I afford to do so. Dog showing is costly and time consuming.

But I have always enjoyed caring for a dog , always. I like to groom him. ( I guess I'm a throwback to our collective ancestral days where we each groomed each other. Simians , great apes, chimps and the like. spend hours picking lice and such out of each others hair.... and eating the little buggers when they catch them... OH YUM ! EEK !) No thanks! I have killed my share of Fleas in my time. But if i want a snack I head off to the kitchen for an apple or some raisins.

Owning a Bichon Frise, grooming is far more demanding time wise then a short hair shedding breed but it has its rewards. My little Bichon Frise and I have a special bond. I tend to spend about 30 min. a day brushing combing and clipping to keep on top of his ever growing white fuzz.

To care for a Bichon Frise one must have one or both the the following attributes either , the money for costly grooming appointments or the time and will to do it yourself.

Well I can tell you I don't have the money...we are retired. But thank goodness I do have the time and I do have the will to keep my Bichon Frise comfortable and presentable.

No I do not Puff my Bichon Frise into show condition !

I know this is going to get me into hot water with other Bichon Frise owners but I really do not like how they look in the show coat. They remind me of little fluffy Imperial Storm troopers( if you remember what they look like from the Star Wars movies?) I like my Bichon Frise to look like a little white dog . No kidding ! Don't get me wrong I don't hate Bichon Frises in show coat... I just can't seem to get those white helmeted goose stepping SF guys out of my head when I see Bichon Frises all puffed up that way. I know what the show folks are thinking .. My attitude sounds like a Personal problem! I mean those dog show folks go to tremendous pains to make Bichon Frises look that way I'm surely not belittling , all the time and labor they expend in doing it...But its just not for me and my dog. I tend to keep my Bichon Frise in the much shorter pet cut some call the puppy or lamb cut. One heck of a lot easier and less work then all the fuss it takes to make them look as if they are going to chase Luke Skywalker across some galaxy long ago and far away.

I don't recommend a Bichon Frise to everyone , although they are cute a a button and the most loving little white dogs God ever made. A bath every 6 or 8 weeks and keeping them brushed and clipped everyday is not for everyone. But a dog no matter what breed is worth a little work...or in my humble opinion please don't get any dog at all! Maybe some other pet?

I have seen some sad little dogs in this world...dirty and matted and uncomfortable for lack of care. It really isn't that much a job to just keep him clean, neat and comfortable. Well , not for me anyway.

But then again as I said in the very beginning , dogs are special to me.

This article was authored by my wife Joyce.