Puppy Mollie, spring 2010
Mollie, spring 2013, in her trademark cocked-head pose
In case you don't know, I am the proud owner of a Moody-shepherd. What? You've never heard of one of those? Well, neither had I, before Mollie. In fact, I
may have made up that breed... Mollie is a dog, but it's tough to name the exact breed because she has the traits of a couple. She has fur coloring and patterns like a Belgian Malinois with the face and webbed paws of a lab. For the longest time we thought she was just some kind of German Shepherd, and none of her vets knew what to make of her. We never sent in her DNA for testing because it's expensive, unnecessary, and less fun to know. We like the guessing part of her.
Today, at age 3 1/2, she weighs about 60 pounds. She stands about as tall as a lab and sports a big, friendly smile. She used to be a BUSY puppy who tore everything up and was too smart for her own good, but after turning 2, she mellowed out big time. She's so awesome that I decided to make a list of the reasons why she is great (which obviously translates to why dogs are the greatest). This is a good go-to list if you're considering adopting a dog or if you just love them and want to look at cute pictures.
Mollie, sharing in watching The Office's finale episode, CLEARLY respecting my space...
10. Mollie respects physical boundaries. I mean, she's a dog, so she's kind of annoying when she makes you pet her or shoves her freezing nose into your palm when it hangs off the bed, but she's not the type of dog who stands on top of you when you sit on the ground or tries to climb into your lap (usually). And if you tell her to go away, she will!
Hiking with my favorite girl! She loves the mountains as much as I do!
9. She keeps me company. Guess how fun it is to hang out at home for 11 hours a day while my husband works? It's actually really boring and really lonely, especially when going through fertility issues. Mollie will follow me around my house, wherever I go. Even if I'm just running to the bathroom, Mollie comes and curls up right outside of the door and waits for me to be done. She likes me and likes to be around me, and it makes me feel better knowing I have somebody around, even if it's "just" a dog.
Taking a shower with her dad since we don't have a tub
8. She listens. Did you know that Mollie taught herself the command "go to bed" on her own? She picked up from context clues that every night before Josh and I would go to bed (way back when she was about six months old) that we would stretch, turn off the TV, and say, "It's time for bed." One day, after Josh did that routine, we realized that Mollie went straight to her kennel. Laughing, we called her out and then told her to "go to bed," not exactly sure what she would do. We were completely amazed when she immediately returned to her kennel. She got crazy amounts of praise for that, and it quickly became a favorite trick to show our friends. Anyway, Mollie is super obedient, and I love it.
Mollie tolerating Bradley the Boxer, even though he's a wild, crazy, energetic puppy
7. Mollie is social. Have you ever been around a dog that just got along with everybody? That's Mollie. She smiles and makes friends with all different kinds of dogs and humans with ease. Because she's big (especially compared to little kids), little ones are typically timid with her, so she gently stands there or licks their hands. We had the daughter of a friend ask once why Mollie licked so nicely because she was so gentle. My niece and nephews love to take her by her leash and run her around their yard. She trots along so patiently and stops whenever they do. My 3-year-old nephew loves the idea of her but gets scared when he's got her leash, and she just stands there while he screams and runs away, his screams turning into laughter. She's kind of perfect.
Mollie, clearly loving being babied (note: extended claws to hold on better)
6. She's our baby substitute (for now). Remember how we've been trying for over 2 1/2 years to get pregnant and it hasn't even almost happened yet? There have been a lot of tears about that in our home. It's been a heartache that I would never wish on anyone. And having someone little who needs you when you're wrapped up in depression can sometimes help you snap out of it and remind you to think about somebody else (even if she's little and furry). Mollie fills the baby role in our home in many ways, and it's fun to baby her for now.
Livin' it up, ET style
5. Mollie's a conversation-starter. Know what people can relate to? Dogs. People who have and love dogs love to talk about what they love about them. Especially because of Mollie's obedience, lots of people ask us about our methods of training and what type of dog she is (since she's not a distinct breed). If you're wondering about training, we used Dan Sullivan's The Perfect Dog system, and it worked great for her. She hasn't had the training collar on in over two months, and she still listens nearly perfectly. Not everyone will agree with that method of training, but whatever. I see it as being a lot like parenting where different methods work for different types of children, and where it can be a touchy subject. Either way, it gets people talking, and we love making new friends.
Sunday nap style with the three amigos
4. She brings us together. Joshua and I have worked so hard to train Mollie to do her different tricks. I'm currently training her to close the door when she comes inside, and it's not easy. Whenever we master a trick, it's easy for Josh and I to look at each other with pride and recognize the hard work that went into training her. I think of this as kind of like parenting when you see your child apply the knowledge that you've taught it. So we have parental pride over our dog... whatever. We love her.
She's especially tough when in uniform
3. She alerts me to dangers. Ever been home alone and not heard when someone was at your door? I know I have! Whenever Mollie is inside with me, she barks anytime there's someone outside of our door. She doesn't do this in an annoying way, but she does it to alert me and to alert the "intruder" that she is there. It's pretty intimidating, and I wouldn't want to be the idiot who chose to cross her when she's in guard dog mode. Once when we lived in Provo, she alerted us when a gunshot victim had stumbled into the parking lot next to our house. Pretty crazy place, that Provo...
Just napping wherever she feels like it, since she's a dog
2. Mollie is way lower maintenance than a baby. She needs to be fed once or twice a day, her water dish needs to be filled every few days (we use a big bowl), and she needs to be let out to do her business every few hours. We walk her occasionally, but she gets tons of exercise playing outside with our landlords' bloodhound, Sweets. It's a pretty perfect setup. Also, if we need to leave, we don't have to find a babysitter for her (unless we'll be gone overnight), and it isn't illegal to lock her in a kennel, if needed.
Accompanying me on a vacation to California's coast. She's so happy her shadow is smiling.
1. She gives me someone to love! It probably sounds dumb, but I have so much love in my heart, and sometimes I really just need to hug and kiss on someone. My husband isn't exactly the touchiest-feeliest kind of guy, so sometimes I need to love on someone else. Enter Mollie. Mollie loves my attention, and she even reciprocates it. And there's really nothing more satisfying than being away for a couple of days and having your pup cry in excitement to see you. Honestly, I love seeing Josh when I've been gone, but I get WAY more excited to love on Mollie when she's shaking with happiness. It's really the best feeling.
So, whether you already have a dog or you're thinking about getting one, consider these excellent reasons why they are so wonderful. Of course, there are many downsides to having dogs too, but the love and companionship you'll share will far outweigh any negatives. Sometimes I wonder if she's my guardian angel, as silly as that sounds. I love my Mollie, and I couldn't imagine how boring things would be without her.
Cuddling with her dad on the couch. I love that her ears are sticking up!
Because, honestly, who couldn't love that sweet face?
Do you agree with these ten reasons why dogs are the best? What do you think about dogs? Do you love them to death or think they're more trouble than they're worth?
