And then there is Madonna. We got her when she was just under one. We asked the same shelter if they had a boxer mix because after all of our exhaustive research, we figured that would be the best playmate for The Man. The Man seemed constantly depressed. Of course, now that we really know him, we know that is just how he is, but at the time he seemed lonely. So, we went to see Madonna and she was the only dog that actually paid attention to the shelter staff. She was very obedient, calm, and attentive. When we brought her home, she stayed that way but also became a little anxious which made leaving her alone a challenge. We also quickly discovered that she was part pit bull. I immediately wanted to give her back. Two dogs, let alone one pit bull, were too much for me, so after much convincing of the Husband and The Man shredding her bed, we started to put up flyers to find her a more suitable home. The first person who called me about her made it clear that I actually couldn't go through with it. For better or for worse, she was ours. And, how lucky we are.
Madonna is the sweetest pit bull I know. Okay, so I don't know many pit bulls...and she definitely has a thing about eye contact. Oh, and if you are afraid of dogs then her and The Man will make sure not to dissuade you from that fear. But otherwise, she really is the sweetest dog. The Man has influenced her ability...or willingness to come when called, but generally she is a very obedient dog. And, she is my dog.
Dobermans have a tendency to pick one human to cling to and The Man's human is The Husband. If The Man could marry The Husband, he would. I know that The Man loves me, but I am not his. Madonna does not have this same streak so she loves all of us a lot. She just loves me a little more, or at least she has convinced me of it which is actually quite genius on her part.
Madonna is her own breed. She has some pit bull, some boxer, some lab, and perhaps some great dane. Who knows what else really, but she is a beautiful dog. When people have stopped us to tell us how beautiful she is, they usually ask us her breed. The Husband and I came up with Belizean Tree Jumper. In her younger days, she used to think she could chase squirrels up trees. She could actually jump surprisingly high.
I often think that Madonna was adopted by the wrong family. She really should be a farm dog, swimming in the creek, chasing ducks and chewing on sticks all day long. But alas, she was stuck with us. If she ever dreamt of being a farm dog, she pushed those thoughts out of her head very quickly. She loves us unconditionally, and the kids love her. Thing #1 pets her frequently and sometimes talks to her in a high-pitched voice. Thing #2 has started to pet her and is even practicing throwing her ball for her, but more importantly, and much more fun for the both of them, Thing #2 has started to purposefully feed her from his highchair.
So Madonna is going to be 8 very soon, and since she truly is a mutt, we have no idea what her life-expectancy is. But, it doesn't matter because she is going to live forever.
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