Molly

Molly was a stray dog I found where I work. I took her in the hope that my parents would want her. And when they didn't, I felt responsible and kept her, much to the dismay of the rest of the pets in the household. This was pre-Jav days, so it was just me, myself and I making decisions. Molly ended up being the biggest challenge I've been faced with as an animal lover. She grew, and ended up big (95 pounds), but she thinks she's lap-sized. She is smart, but has a hard head and a will of steel like no other animal I've run across. She looked like a very skinny long-legged Rottweiller when I brought her home. The vet guessed that her other part (or one of them) was hound dog, just because of her lackadaisical countenance. I had to dig down deep and find a mixture of unbelievable patience and psychological toughness I didn't know I had before I met her. And I think I will be a better mother because of it.

We embarked on a journey filled with chew toys, training classes, and book and manual readings galore. She apparantly was hungry for quite some time as a puppy, because she is food-fixated beyond belief. She has eaten, killed or chewed on, in no particular order, kleenexes, cat toys, newspaper, lizards, quick-dry cement, birdseed, home siding, birds, rocks, rats, and her favorite - sticks. Lately her diet (besides her special extra-expensive dog food that the vet prescribed because "at least we can control PART of what she eats") has been slimmed down to birdseed, lizards and sticks, these being the only things still found in the new yard after we moved.

Molly was a rare stray in that she apparantly was never really mistreated by anyone, and so shows no fear of anything. Someone did at one point try to tie her up (when she wandered into our warehouse at work she had a ripped rope around her collar). She also goes nuts if you try to keep her contained in a dog run or outside pen. But other than that she is a goofy and joyful dog, who you will find just as often on her back with all four legs sprawling everywhere as you will right side up. Many nights we find her snoring in her kennel flat on her back.

She's come a long way, and is now relatively obedient most of the time. She is a joy to walk or run, keeping exact pace with you no matter how slow or fast you want her to go. And although she still has the bad habit of barking at other dogs that wander by our house, now she seems to be turning into quite a watch dog when it comes to people too. I doubt many criminal types would try to venture into our yard just upon the sight of her, but couple that with her viscious bark and I don't think anyone would be crazy enough to mess with us. She still has a weird habit of barking really ferociously, then retreating as if she's a little nervous with her newfound authority. My Mom thinks she's conflicted between her Rottweiller personality of guarding house and home and her hound dog personality of lounging on the porch thinking about her next meal and not really giving a damn.

All I know is I love her something awful. It's been a hardfound love, but that's what makes it even more special.