“Don’t get that dog” are usually the last words a mom says to her child before a new dog comes to take up residence. I’m pretty sure there were many more words like “you don’t need that dog.” Maybe something like “you can’t keep up with your life and the life of a puppy”, or “you can’t afford a dog.” Guess what happened? You got it……a puppy, aka a granddog.
Taylor wanted a puppy as she was off at college and missing our Lexi girl. How she found the ONE girl in ONE of her classes that just happened to have a Pomeranian/Yorkie mix, I’ll never know. She brought Naila home the next time she visited. She was named Naila (sounds like NahLah) after Nala on The Lion King as this little puppy purred. No lie! She made the cutest little noise when she was playing. She sounded like Nala. As with any puppy, the puppy breath was intoxicating and I thought she was adorable. My mother, not so much. Mom said that was the ugliest puppy she had ever seen. She was one of a kind and if you had ever been in her presence you knew it. She could win over anyone with those big brown eyes. Naila…not mama :)
Lexi took her right in and was going to train her well. It wasn’t long before little Naila decided she would bark all day while Taylor was in class. This didn’t sit well with the other apartment dwellers. It was then we knew she was “special”. She came to live with Granna and Pops in hopes Lexi could teach her how to act. This was when this Granna said “you leave this dog with me longer than 6 weeks and she becomes mine.” I told Taylor I was NOT going to love this dog for I had Lexi, who was the queen of my heart. Boy, did I eat those words. Naila traveled back and forth from Ringgold to Jacksonville several times and had severe car sickness. It was a guarantee something was coming up or out with each trip. I don’t know when it finally stopped but I was so thankful it did because she loved to go.
Naila had to be first and only from day one. I had to explain to her the alpha was Lexi as Lexi was so gentle she wasn’t going to stand her ground. Naila would steal Lexi’s balls, toys and first spot out the door. The cray puppy even decided sitting on Lexi, by my side, was better than sitting anywhere else in the house. Lexi let her. Lexi was already diabetic when Naila came and it wasn’t too long before her eyesight started going. Naila then became the caregiver as well as she could and still have ADHD.
I have never seen a dog with ADHD but I am here to say Naila wrote the book on it. She would stand at the door letting us know she had to do her “business” outside. I would let her out, she would sniff a second and then something would catch her attention. She had forgotten why she was outside. She was known for coming in the house after being outside and peeing right then and there.
Five years ago Lexi had finally gone as far as she could go and we escorted her to the rainbow bridge. Naila looked for here for a long time. We took her to Lexi’s grave and she would sit right on top of her like she knew she was there. It was kinda like “assume the position”. Naila then became the only child.
Everyone is aware of the only child syndrome and then multiply that by she lived with her grandparents. She was SPOILED. She got separation anxiety after we lost Lexi and it was something no one would ever believe unless they had seen it with their own eyes. This crazy dog would run back and forth CONTINUOUSLY the entire time I was gone. I wouldn’t matter how long or how short I was gone. She ran door to gate, gate to door, to the couch, to the door. It was heartbreaking watching her on the security camera. I was so thankful to have a BFF in Kim that loved Naila as much as we did and she opened her house to Naila to stay with her while she worked from home. Another grandparent to spoil that dog. SMH
Naila played ball better than most 7 year olds. She could catch the ball in the air with no problem. She could run fast considering those legs were little. She would chase anything that moved but never caught a thing. Swimming really wasn’t her thing but if I was in the water she would get in with me. She liked visiting Granny at the nursing home and soaked up all the loving mama would hand out to her. It was after the first year that mom decided she was a cute dog but still called her ole ugly for years. Naila never liked anyone that would try to smack at me, hug me or kiss me. She was the only girl in my world according to her. She never liked getting groomed but was such a cute thing we wanted to see that face. She was a great bed buddy and I have missed her terribly every night I crawl in without her.
Forty three years I have been responsible for an animal, a child or a husband. Most times it was all of the above at the same time. There is no husband and the children have homes and families of their own. Being the caregiver I am, I have had a hard time giving it up. I loved that little fur ball and told her that many times over the weekend. She had no doubt she was loved as she was spoiled better than most human children.
As she took her last breaths, I whispered words in her ear. I asked her to tell Lexi and Daddy I would see them soon. I soaked her fur with tears as Kim tried to stay strong for both of us. I took in her smell and rubbed my face on her. We printed her nose and paw along with clippings of her fur. I will remember her smell just as I have Lexi’s for the last five years. She was a special dog and I have sure been missing her. We lost Lexi five years ago August and now Naila in August. Can we just skip over the month of August from here on out? I won’t be getting another animal and will probably be traveling a lot more. I had three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for in Babe (the cat), Lexi and Naila. My life was richer because they were in my world. I was understood and loved unconditionally, as no human would ever be able to do. If I could convince someone to meet me at the door, after looking for me all day, with the excitement of my animals I would have it made. Please know that my “normal” isn’t going to be normal for awhile. If you see me crying don’t hug me because I will drown you in tears. It will be ok eventually just not right now. Naila will never be forgotten.
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went” Will Rogers
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