Saturday, February 26, 2011

Homer - Best Dog Ever

This is our dog Homer. I talk about donkeys, and horses, and cats on this blog, so I thought I'd show you a picture of Homer. As you can see, he likes snow.


In fact, he likes to do anything we like to do. If you say the word walk, you have to spell it W-A-L-K or else you'll have one hundred pounds of wagging monster dog knocking you over in excitement.

I got Homer from the animal shelter about six years ago. I saw his picture on their website at 3:30 PM on a Saturday. They closed at 4:00 PM. I jumped in my car and got there in 15 minutes, fell in love in 10 minutes, did paper work for another 5, and at 4:00 PM drove him home.

Rescuing a dog from an animal shelter is like taking a stranger into your home and hoping you get along. In Homer's case, I knew little about his history. He was a young full grown dog (lab mixed with golden retriever?) that had been found running loose for some time with another dog. The day after I brought him home, we cleared brush all day and hauled it into burn piles. Homer walked back and forth with us, back and forth, staying close to our side. By the end of the day we knew he wasn't going to leave. He was quite happy to find a home and people to love him.


Homer is not only loyal, he adores children and cats. Well, I should say that cats love Homer. They all rub against him (even the neighbor's cat) and our barn cat Lucy even sleeps with him at night.

Homer is starting to look a little older in this picture I snapped two days ago. He is probably around seven years old this year, and I'm reminded to spend time with my faithful friend while I still can.
And I'm reminding you, as a dog lover, that you can still enter the contest (until Feb 28, 2011) to win Bobbie Pyron's brand new dog book called A DOG'S WAY HOME. This is hands-down one of the best dog books I have ever read, and you will Love It!


How do you enter? Just go to my interview with author Bobbie Pyron below, or click here to get there, scroll to bottom and leave a comment about your favorite kind of dog, and you are entered to win. Simple. But hurry!


Oh, and my favorite breed of dog? Anything with a good personality, but I have to say that I Really. Love. Labs.

8 comments:

Danni said...

Homer!! I'm so happy that I got to meet and pet him. I loved how he wanted to be right there in the barn with us and the donkeys and your horse. He is clearly a special puppy soul. :-)

Amy Lukavics said...

Homer looks so friendly and amazing. I'd love to give him a big hug! He looks like a good dog to hug.

I can't wait to get a dog. We are waiting until we can get our own house with a yard before we do, but it's so hard to wait! I am in love with golden retrievers. There's just something about them that I adore.

Gone2theDawgs said...

Homer was the first one to greet me the first time I met you and your animal family. A finer host and doorman you won't find!

Linda Benson said...

Yes, I forgot to mention that he is the "official greeter" around here, and he takes his duties seriously. Amy, I don't know if you read my post on Guide Dogs for the Blind (you can find it on the sidebar under Labels) but one of the breeds they use, besides labs, is a lab/golden cross. They are known for their great dispositions.

Dreaming said...

Homer seems like he was a perfect match. I love the way you describe rescuing a dog as being like taking in a stranger - that is so true!

Alison said...

I think Homer loves food, too.

Labs are still the most popular dog in America with Golden Retrievers about third, so you got a great combination! And a rescue means he's all the better.

Linda Benson said...

LOL I was hoping no one would notice Homer's less-than-svelte figure. He does not eat that much, but he has packed on the pounds over the years. (Hey, happens to the best of us) Later gator, we're headed out for for a W-A-L-K right now.

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

Oh, Homer is ADORABLE!!! I love that you rescued him from a shelter. Hurray for you! There are so many great animals waiting in shelters. Thanks for sharing Homer with us. If you ever need a dog sitter. . . : )