Hey y’all, Kizzy here.
I’m Souha’s oldest German shepherd girl and today I am celebrating my 14th birthday.
I’ve lived longer than many dogs of my kind and I’m still going strong. My legs occasionally give out from under me, but I pick myself up with humour. I can’t always see well so mom turns the lights on so I can go up and down the stairs safely. I can’t hear anymore unless mom whistles or waves her hands to tell me what I am supposed to do.
Old age is a bugger but we dogs understand and accept it better than humans do. One of the reasons I’m taking things in stride, aside the fact that I am a good girl with a great personality, is how well my mom raised me.
Mom pulled me from a bad situation and for a while, I felt worthless, depressed, and didn’t want anyone handling me or touching me. We have worked together for me to recover and for her to learn to work with sensitive souls like me.
Mom integrated me gradually and carefully with my older siblings. Rama was my protector, Bob my playmate, and Maya showed me how to swim like a mermaid and assert my boundaries. They taught me to be a good sister to Bruna and Nejra who came later.
Mom and I went sheep herding for eight years and that’s where I found my strength. I taught mom how to shepherd me around livestock and though she got us in trouble a few times, like me, she’s a quick study. When I aged, we picked up scent detection and I brought home titles and judge’s recognitions. And when I told her that I was done, she heard me.
Mom gave me a wonderful life because she respected my capacity to think for myself and gave me the space where I could do so safely. Today I spend my time napping comfortably, and I love our swims and hikes when mom has time.
You see, things changed when she started Way of Life Dog Training. Mom has always worked hard but this was different, as days can go by without us seeing much of her. She looks tired and preoccupied much of the time, and we see her locking herself in her bedroom. She doesn’t like us to see her upset but we see it all the same. Burnout and stress are rampant among dog trainers, not because dogs are hard but because people can be. And growing a business that does things differently is incredibly challenging and scary. We miss her and we know that she misses us and the carefree life we once had.
But mom also has the courage of her convictions. My siblings and I have accepted this sacrifice as our price for being her dogs. We are so happy that she’s trying to help others have the life that we have. Because of that, I am grateful to still be around to support her, make her smile and laugh, and be a good girl for her.
Thank you mom for everything you’ve done for us and our kind. Please continue to be there for us so that we can be there for you and others like us.
I will love you forever.
Your Kizzy