Everyone’s heard of ‘cat ladies’: women who never have kids, buy themselves lots of cats and get a reputation for themselves in their local area. Well that’s the way my life may end up – except with dogs. Unlike cats, dogs are loyal, fun and they don’t scratch as much! My love for the furry creatures has not gone unmissed, people often accuse me of loving dogs more than humans, and they might be right. One of these people is my boyfriend, whom I often spend less time cuddling than my two little Beddlington Terriers, Sasha and Billie. I‘m so keen on having puppies that I’ve already named my future pooches: Cookie, Muffin and Pop Tart – a favourite food theme may also be in danger of occurring! The things is, puppies don’t have to be carried for nine months like real babies do, and they certainly don’t cause unbearable pain for around twenty four hours as they try to escape from your body. And there are so many more reasons why dogs are better than humans/boyfriends: you can dress them up in cute little outfits, they never talk back, and they never complain that your feet are like ice when you try cuddle up to them on the sofa.
Meet Billie; Parisian Style
Dogs are also a lot more trusting and don’t get jealous if you talk to another male at the bar on a night out. They can be trained up and win talent contests – at least that’s what I’m hoping for, there might be a long way to go!
The next Ashleigh and Pudsey?
I have to admit, I can never resist their little furry faces. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t shed a tear at ‘Marley and Me’, and so many other films and TV shows highlight how amazing dogs can be. These stories aren’t always just made up for the Hollywood big screens, there are some true heroes out there in the shape of our furry friends…
Greyfriars Bobby
Ever heard of Greyfriars Bobby? The Skye terrier’s owner died in 1858 of Tuberculosis and was buried in a graveyard in Edinburgh. Having only lived with his owner for two years, Bobby spent the rest of his life sitting on his owner’s grave, leaving only to get food. He spent fourteen years of his life there, and when he died was buried not far from the gravestone.
The Story of Ruswarp
Border Collie Ruswarp and his owner Graham Nuttall went on a walking holiday to the Welsh Mountains back in January 1990, but never returned. After their absence was reported, a search and rescue mission was launched, but was unsuccessful until a lone walker on the mountain came across Graham’s frozen body near a mountain stream. Right next to him laid Ruswarp. Still alive, the faithful Border collie had stayed with his owner’s body for eleven weeks in terrible winter conditions. Ruswarp was so weak that he had to be carried off the mountain, but managed to survive long enough to attend his owner’s funeral.
A bronze statue of Ruswarp is now in Garsdale station in Cumbria, the collie and his owner’s favourite place, commemorating the memory of Graham Nuttall and his faithful companion Ruswarp.
The Story of Dorado
Dorado was the Labrador of blind worker Omar Rivera who was working on the 71st floor of the twin towers on September 11th 2001. When the planes hit, Omar knew he wouldn’t be able to escape, so unclipped Dorado’s lead and ordered him to leave. The faithful black lab returned, however, and with the help of a co-worker, assisted Omar down the seventy floors of stairs in the building, a trip that took over an hour. As they emerged at ground level, the building collapsed. Owner Omar claims he owes his life to his best friend and dog Dorado.
Okay, so I get that maybe most dogs don’t win Britain’s Got Talent or save you from a burning building – but they are extremely loyal. And just in case you’re still not convinced to become a dog person… here are some very cute pictures that might help you change your mind.