Honey and Lea, 10 years on

My dogs are now over ten years old

Honey is actually older than Lea

Although you wouldn't think it

But they are starting to act their age

Lea is always eager to go for a walk

But Honey elects to stay home some days

And cuddles up in her bed when she sees me putting on my jacket

I got Honey from the dog shelter

And the second day I had her

She was hit by a car on the road 

She was fine though

She is a tough little cookie 

As you know

Honey lost an eye earlier this year

It was quite the traumatic event for her

But

She had made a remarkable recovery

It takes more than that to stop a feisty little terrier

Honey often gets ailments now

Her paw gives her trouble 

And some days she doesn't move from her bed 

She is still as cheeky as ever though 

No matter how many times you tell her not to do something 

She will do it any chance she gets 

If the hall door is left open

She will sneak down and make herself at home on my bed 

One thing about Honey 

Is that she loves her food 

After she has finished her dinner

She will go over to Lea

To see if she has any left

When she hears the biscuit tin being opened 

She comes running 

Honey likes to think that she is the boss of everything 

But in all reality

Lea could really hurt Honey if she wanted to

She just lets Honey think she's the boss

Lea on the other hand

Is a gentle giant 

She's more sensitive 

More gentle 

She just wAnts you to rub her all day long 

And if you stop 

She will nudge your hand with her head until you start again

Lea is quite needy

And any time I walk in to the kitchen

She gets up and follows me 

My mother jokes that Lea is a special needs dog 

Because she is not as smart as Honey

But I think Lea deserves more credit than that 

When I let her out at night for her last run before bed 

When she is finished 

She will go around to the sitting room window 

And bark for you to let her in

That's pretty intelligent if you ask me

Lea was almost a Mama once

She was pregnant with puppies 

But when we brought her for a check up 

There were no heart beats 

Although she still had to give birth to them

So it was quite the traumatic experience for her 

Lea found it really difficult when I was In treatment over the years 

Mum has told me how she fell in to depression 

And her fur even fell out

Yes 

There is no doubt

Lea is a sensitive little soul

Lea and Honey have been a source of great joy in my life 

A dog is a great companion

A friend for life 

They have have been an integral part of my recovery too

When I couldn't find a reason to get out of bed

I got up for them 

When I didn't want to leave the house 

I left to walk them 

They have been by my side every step of my recovery 

They have enriched my life 

I really believe that animals have the power to heal us 

Whether it's horses

Or cats

Or hamsters 

They take us out of ourselves 

They remind us to forgive 

They give us something to focus on other than ourselves 

They are loyal and loving companions 

I love them so much 

I'll leave you with this saying 

I wish I was as great as my dog thinks I am