Tuesday, January 11, 2011

{Lily}

I have had many dogs in my 30-some years. But none like our Boxer.

I've been around lots of different breeds of dogs - each lovable for their own reasons.  But I have to say I really love the Boxer breed best. We've had our Rocco for over 8 years and I swear he is the best dog ever.  I haven't always had the best luck with other breeds - though I'm sure there are other great breeds out there. I've experienced my share of biters and aggressive dogs. When I was 5, I was bit by a Great Dane on the face... many, many stitches later I got a sucker in the ER room and literally thought to myself, "You've gotta be kidding me, this is it? This is all I get for enduring all of THAT?" Haha. I'm still scared of big dogs that I don't know. And when I was a kid we had a dog who ate rocks. That dog had a rock in it's mouth 24/7 and played fetch with rocks. {I didn't get her started on the rock thing, btw!} My Grandma had a dog named Barney. Lots of memories of Barney. He took his pill in braunschweiger - I'll never forget the smell of that stuff. I remember when we had to take Barney to the vet to put him down. I went with my dad. Crazy how even as a kid you don't forget some things... or how they hurt.

Last year I had photographed a family that also had a boxer and it was an all-white boxer named Ruby. I immediately fell in love. Well this past weekend we brought home an all-white boxer with one blue eye and one brown eye. And I think.. it is official that Boxers will be all I ever own from here on out. :) IF there is a breed that was ever just for me.. it's truly the Boxer. 

They really are the best dog ever. Short-haired, so for all of you who are bothered by shedding.. these dogs shed so small amount of hair it's rarely even noticeable. They don't have that "dog-smell". I can't stand that "dog-smell". Rocco is clean, doesn't need a lot of grooming and always smells good. Boxers are such good family dogs. Protective, loyal and wonderful around kids. And they're smart and so perceptive. Rocco has been such a comfort at times when I was home alone... and especially after my sister died - it was like he could just sense my hurt. 

So - meet Lily. She's small, but she's already won over our hearts... and indefinitely... Rocco's