Christmas Nightmare - A Canine Love Story

Eddie had always been a bit anti social. Well, not always. When he was very young he recalled playing with children his age. He recalled actually enjoying it! But somewhere, something happened and Eddie just decided that he was just as happy with his mom and dad and if no one else ever came over, he had all the love he ever wanted in them. His list of favorite things to do were lay around on the couch, watch TV and occasionally he did enjoy a walk out to the mailbox and back.

However, more than that or an occasionally romp with mom and dad when they were being silly, dancing around the Christmas tree, was just too much for him. He enjoyed the peaceful life and he didn't really care for anyone coming along putting their nose in it and costing him his precious seat on the couch. Eddie always did get pretty cranky when visitors came over, it almost always meant he'd have to sit in the floor, just like he had to when he was not much more than a foot high.

Eddie did love Christmas though and he loved the nights mom and dad would open the door up into foot after foot of snow and just let him jump into that white powder until his heart was content and he would sleep for hours afterwards. Those snow covered nights in the mountains where they lived, who would give that up for some annoying interruption like a girl! Not Eddie. He had already made it clear he didn't want anyone in the house except, him, mom and dad, ahh, forever he thought. As he drifted off to sleep.

Rescue Me - Eddies Side of the Story

I was woke up from my his peaceful mid afternoon couch potato sleep, another running dream, by mom whispering to dad. I thought she might be crying and that bothers me so I lay still there and listened.

"We have already had two huge snowstorms this year honey," Mom was whispering to dad. "We have to go now, we have to go get her, two more storms worse than those are on the way!"

Oh boy, here we go again, Eddie sighs and lifts his head up and looks at his mom. Mom then does the strangest thing, she looks at him, giggles and says back to dad, "Boy is he not going to know what hit him." I perked right up, sat up straight on the couch.

Come on! I'm five years old here! I can hear you talking. And you were whispering even, because even you know I can understand a lot more than any person on earth would ever give me credit for.

"Okay, we can't afford it. But I can't imagine her being out there for the last year, these last two horrible snowstorms, and two more on the way." Dad sighed. I always knows this means he is sad about something. Because he is my dad, I picked it up from him, so sometimes when I'm sad, I lay my head down and sigh too.

Three Days Before Christmas

Great! Eddie thought to himself again. They were leaving him behind this time, they knew he loved to go anywhere and everywhere. But they were being very secretive and incredibly weird. Mom kept coming around calling me 'poor baby' of all things! Dad just glanced over me a couple of times looking very guilty about something.

Something monumental was about to happen and although I think I'm pretty darned smart, even I couldn't figure this one out. Hours later, and I mean it was hours! They finally returned.

As I heard the car pull up I sat up on the couch. Even I hate to look that lazy. The door nearly burst in as mom rushed in and told me right away to keep my seat. I don't always listen when something gets my attention but I do always try to, so I sat still. But before I could even see the nightmare they brought through that door, I could smell her. I raised up my hackles the best way a big mean dog like me should and I began growling.

A girl, they had brought home a GIRL! My life was over, ruined, it was the worst moment of my entire five years of life. Oh that's not the worst part, she was perky to my sloth-like speed, she was hyper, I barely even liked hoisting up my paw for one of those insanely killer bacon treats, and of all things she was hardly more than a baby at around two years old; mom and dad said they thought she was. I remember thinking how sad that was, that no one really knew how old she was. Mom had always known and remembered my birthday. I wondered where her mom was.

I think a lot like I said before. People don't ever give me credit for it because I am a dog and all but, that is why I love my mom and dad so much, because they know how smart I am and tell me hundreds of times a day sometimes it seems. So as I sat there thinking and hearing my mom tell my dad how this girl was going to be living here now and how I would just have to get over it. I think I already had. Pandora, she was the first dog that mom and dad ever let me get close to. It's not their fault, I was born and bred to be a fighting dog, but my mom and dad rescued me from that too.

How could I hate this little hyper and yes very much annoying orphan any worse. I heard my mom and dad talking, saying that they could tell that Pandora had never even seen a human bed until that night.

Christmas Love - New Chances

By Christmas I finally convinced mom and dad that I wasn't going to hurt Pandora. Boy was that hard! But I didn't have a great track record, so I could hardly blame them. I don't know if it was the way she shook because she wasn't used to the sounds of inside. The fridge opening, the oven door closing or all of the other things I never even notice. Or if it was that it was so obvious she desperately needed a friend to help her learn, just how to live this dream life mom and dad gave me.

But I know one thing. The whole world had bet against me ever being able to co-exist with another dog again. And from my point of view, even just after this short amount of time, even with her constantly biting my ears until they are soggy, I love her. Sometimes I see mom actually cry when she doesn't think I'm watching when I'm snuggling into Pandora while we watch TV and peacefully drift off to sleep. Pandora, well, she's teaching me not to be such a couch potato, I'm teaching her that in this house, it is okay to be one!