If there was ever a better dog, I've never met him. If there was a better buddy, it's news to me. If there was a more loyal boy, you could knock me over with a feather.
Yes, I'm talking about my favorite, the one and only: Milo. We adopted this sweet boy from the Humane Society about three years ago, and since then he has been a big, beefy, four-legged blessing. It's no exaggeration to say I cannot imagine my life without him. He is just that good.
When we first came to know Milo, he was just a little thing, probably 40 pounds. His exact age was unknown, but they thought he was around 18 months. He had been adopted twice, and returned twice, and was on the equivalent of doggie death row. They color code dogs based on their activity level, and he was a "red", meaning the most active. When they let him out of his cage, it was like seeing a bucking bull come out of the chute: he was a ball of energy that just wanted someone to give him some love. He was so hyped up that it was hard to get a feel for his personality. It was close to Christmas, so it was pretty cold and kind of a dark afternoon. They let me go outside with him in a big caged area, and he promptly ran around the cage paying no attention to me at all. I tried to bait him with a ball, then a rope toy, but with no luck.
As I sit here writing this, I'm not sure why I thought this would work. Milo was so hyped up with energy that I'm sure they thought I'd bring him back in a day or two. They told me over and over that he needed lots of exercise, and I repeated to them that my wife was a runner, and wanted a running companion.
We borrowed a big metal dog crate from my friend, Ben, and put it up in the breakfast nook the first night after taking him home. When we put Milo in it that night, he figured out how to open both latches, and within 15 minutes he was at our bed. So much for the crate.
As soon as we started feeding Milo, he started growing. I'm convinced he had never been fed right, and just needed the proper nourishment to bulk up. To give you an idea of his size when we got him, he could fit through the cat door on a baby gate. I can tell you will full confidence he is not getting that rump of his through a cat door anytime soon. He put on about 20 pounds, grew an inch or two in height, and put on a nice, shiny coat.
Beka was not too keen on adopting Milo, at least at first. The first two weeks were a challenge: Milo was not calming down at all, and Beka was not used to his energy level. We kept him in a crate during the day (which was not helpful for his energy), and actually had to padlock it so he would not open it. He also kept trying to herd our cats, Fred and Franklin. They did not like it, and he got frequent swats on his muzzle. Eventually he got the hint, and now instead of herding the cats he plays hide and seek with Franklin (I'm serious, they play hide and seek just like little kids).
As time passed, Milo embedded himself in the fabric of our life. Beka would take him on runs, I would take him on bike rides, and he became best friends with our neighbor's dog, Starla. They are now in a steady dating relationship, and he gets to play with her every day while we are at work. He lives for car rides, and has recently gotten used to riding in the bed of my pickup (though we keep that to in the neighborhood for now).
Now, after having Milo in our home for close to three years, it's like he was always here. He has calmed down considerably, and as I write this he is cashed out on the living room floor. You can tell he's asleep because he will start paddling his paws and blow air through his nose like he's chasing bunnies. But I know how to get him amped up, and it's fun to see the pure excitement in his eyes when he sees me put on my shoes and grab my keys and say the magic word, "GO", which means a car ride is in his near future. He has the most wonderful smell, the most loving eyes, and is without a doubt the smartest animal I have ever met. Simply put: he's the best.
So that's the story of Milo, in a nutshell. If you've never met him, I hope you do someday. If you have met him, you already know exactly what I'm talking about.
Suzie Homemaker
10 years ago
