[Mackenzie’s Admin]

I think that the answer to that has to be…a dog. Now I love my own 3 very much, but I have to say that as I continue to work with Rufus, I am surprised at how close we’ve become. If I could get away with it (I am, by the way, not allowed to bring more furry animals home–dog or otherwise.), I would adopt him in a heartbeat.

It’s hard to explain what it is about him that makes us good buddies. I think that it’s because after working here for just shy of a year, Rufus is my first real success story at MAS that is a physical reminder of how far I’ve come, and what I have learned about dogs.

It’s amazing what a blessing and a reward it is to be around Rufus; I always admired (and was a tad envious ) of how close Smokey and Jorel are. As much as I love my Labs and Lab Mixes, I don’t think I’ve ever really appreciated any dog as much as I have Rufus. I remember getting pounced on and mouthed by Ava quite a bit, thinking "What is wrong with me that I can’t get her to behave?", and I love how much Robby wants to cuddle and barks at me like "HEY!! Get over here!" when he sees me. I love those two a lot, and I even sponsor Ava. But Rufus is something else entirely.

Since he’s a D dog, there is something amazing knowing about where he was when he started, and how much better he has become. I had a hand in teaching him to play tug and GIVE a little more politely. I had a hand in helping him learn to be a more respectful walker. I have had the incredible experience of having the whole of his attention focused on me when he acts up at his outside run wanting to go into the play yard–and amidst distraction. When he sees me, he gets all wiggly, and yesterday, when I was reading to him, he got bored of me reading and spent ten minutes licking and kissing my head.

I know that he can be a very unruly boy at times, and very impolite (or downright rude) in some situations. I know that he still mouths people very hard at times, and therefore needs more discipline to learn to be a better dog who is repectful of everyone. And yet, in spite of all of this, for some unknown reason, he chooses to mind me pretty well. He works hard when I ask him to.

Good God, but I love that dog.

[Mackenzie’s Admin]

A kind heart, along with patients and knowledge goes a long way – keep up the awesome job Nicole!

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