Isn't it amazing how a dog becomes a part of your family.
We got Molly about a week before Noelle's first birthday. It was a Monday night and we met a man in a McDonald's parking lot somewhere in Kansas. She was the only "buff and cream" in the litter.
Noelle slept in the back seat and I held this little ball in my lap that every time I looked at her, she would make this cute little sound. I would put her to my face, snuggle her in my neck and she covered me with kisses.
I remember when I named her that Sean accused me of naming her Molly because it sounded like "mommy" and Noelle was just starting to talk. She would follow me everywhere and absolutely loved Noelle. When we put her on our bed, if she heard Noelle make a sound, she would look at us, kind of jump up in the air and with ears flying, she was off to find Noelle.
When Michael joined us, she couldn't get enough of this "new person". She would kiss him, he would laugh and soon, more kisses would follow.
At the time, we lived in our first house and there was no easy access to the backyard, so Molly was trained to go out on a leash. When we moved, she had a fenced back yard and a doggie door. She learned just how the door worked by following the kids as they crawled through.
Soon after, Sadie joined us. The two of them never really played together much, but loved to chase a tennis ball in the yard. However, several years later when Hydie joined the group, Molly made it known that SHE was top dog. If Hydie even looked at her, Molly would snap as if to say, "what are you looking at".
There would be times when after a walk or something, when the three of them would be together again, Molly would forget she didn't really like Hydie. Her little nub of a tail would wag for a moment or two, then she would suddenly remember "oh, it's you" and remind Hydie of her place.
Molly was kind of a "prissy" dog who, after spending a day at the groomers, knew she looked good. When I would take her in for her "spa day", she would walk right in to a kennel, turn around and look at you like "ok, I'm ready, how about you".
We now know that Molly was the one behind the "welcoming committee" when ever we would return home. The dogs would go nuts and you would think we had 100 dogs instead of three.
The house is quiet now when we come home and I wonder what Sadie and Hydie are thinking.
In time, I know it will get easier for all of us. I hope that time comes soon.
