The Great White Westie-Wolf

It was that magical time in the morning when our bodies and souls are half awake and half asleep – where wonderful dreams can still happen. It was a cold, Ohio morning and I did not want to get out of my warm, cozy bed. I was dreaming I was camping in Alaska and had an encounter with a lone white wolf. In my dream it was raining and the wolf had me pinned to the ground. When I finally opened my eyes, I was staring into a white muzzle with a coal black nose. Deep black eyes were boring into mine. He was kissing me all over my face, trying to wake me. Charlie, the great white Westie-Wolf, was ready to go outside.
We’ve had Charlie for a little over 2 years now, having adopted him when he was one. He is a special needs dog, and nobody really had the patience for him. His over-exuberance could be annoying to some, and the fact that he seemed to be channeling Tigger, the tiger from Winnie the Pooh, sealed his fate. He was a lap dog that wasn’t supposed to be a lap dog, and somehow he ended up adopting us.
There are two theories that I always take into account when I start getting frustrated with Charlie. The first one is: dogs and their owners are very much alike. The second one is: when someone really annoys you, take a good look at yourself. Those two thoughts always humble me when I get frustrated with Charles. This is a dog that can dance like no one is watching, laugh until he cries and eat with utter abandon. He takes his job of ridding the world of squirrels one by one very seriously, and loves to cuddle on our big chair by the fire – stretching out and snoozing with not a care in the world.
Some of Charlie’s traits I look at with envy. Others I can so relate to. Like forgetting his obedience commands. How can I get angry with him when he forgets to “stay”, when I can’t even remember where I put my reading glasses? How can I push him off my lap when he wants to be held - when truly, sometimes that’s all I want too? How can I get mad and push him down when he dances with joy when I get home from work; wanting to touch me and tell me how much he has missed me?
The main difference between the two of us is that Charlie doesn’t stop to think. He just does. Charlie doesn’t care what other people think. He just is. Charlie lives his life with total abandon and love. He lives in the now, and doesn’t worry about what lies ahead. He doesn’t regret about the past. I never see Charlie pouting because he still hasn’t caught one of the squirrels that taunt him from the yard. He just keeps trying, certain one of these days, one of those squirrels is going down.
As much of an energizer bunny he can be, he is so sweet and gentle with our granddaughters. He will patiently sit in the princess castle/tent, and gladly wear crowns and play with Barbie. He is very much a gentleman when fed a piece of hotdog or cheese. When the princesses finally wind down, Charlie is right there beside them, head on their knee, watching Sponge Bob. He carefully cleans peanut butter and jelly off tiny hands and licks up tears when someone scrapes a knee. He is a true friend and protector.
So now, when Charlie gets on my nerves, I just remind myself that whatever he is doing, he is doing it with love. What more could anyone want? Another true lesson I’ve learned from my great, white Westie-Wolf.