Riley Dog

Most of you who have known me for a while are aware of my extreme attachment to one very large, very hairy, male bassett hound. His name is Riley, or to be perfectly honest, Sir Walter Riley Bear.

Riley has allowed me to own him since February 1999. As soon as he was large enough to jump into my bed, he quickly made the right hand side (pillows included) his very own. In 2000, I met my future husband Chris. Riley did not like this....at all. He would growl at Chris and wedge himself between Chris and I in the bed in the middle of the night just to make a point very clear....HE was my number 1 fan.

So, after a move to Arkansas, a new baby arrived. Alex. Alex, at 4 months old, was very fond of Riley. He was NOT fond of her. In fact, people kept telling me to get rid of him, and I almost punched each of those said people right in the face. Riley was my dog, and I would find away to resolve this situation.

Turns out, a dog named Chuy was adopted from the Little Rock animal shelter by the Papacek family. We brought little Chuy home and he and Riley became instant playmates. I was actually a little jealous. After Chuy's arrival, Riley ignored Alex as she continued to pester him and pull on his long dog ears.

Well, after moving back to Texas (thank the Lord!), baby number 2 arrived. Carter, my son, has no interest in either dog. He doesn't like being licked, and I think Riley's extremely large tail does not feel all that good when whacked upon one's face. And in my infinite wisdom and a pure moment of weakness, I adopted dog number 3, Ruby Red. She is perhaps the cutest bassett hound (sorry Riles) with her extra, extra long ears and desire to be petted constantly. Actually, the petting part is really annoying.

Riley celebrated his 10th birthday on January 7th of this year. He has very bad cataracts, has hip pain, and basically acts as if he is falling apart. I say acts because if I slip up and leave my bedroom door open, the dog who looks at his old bed longingly, somehow manages to hoist his 67 lb. self up onto my new couch, curls up around my new throw pillows and sheds about 10 pounds of pure hair.

I love that darn dog. I love him because after all these years, he loves me right back. He doesn't care if I come home in a bad mood, or I forgot to feed them before I left for work. His love is truly unconditional and comforting. When I am sad, I like to lay on the floor with my Riley dog. When I need a good laugh, I remember all the crazy dog things he has done. Pets make our lives better. My life is better because Riley has been a part of it.