By Sophie

When my soulmate Larry went to dog heaven a couple of years ago, I thought my tail would never wag again. Larry and I were together for more than seven years, ever since I was rescued from the pound. You could say that I was the yin to his yang.

Even though he could be a major pain in the tail sometimes, I missed him so much that all I could do was lie around all day, remembering all our happy times together.

Then one day my people came home with an amusing little pound scamp, Leroy. They took us on a walk to introduce us to each other – that way I didn’t get territorial by meeting him on my own turf. At first the wee pup was rather bossy, but once I made it clear that I was the senior dog and therefore in charge, we got along splendidly.

Since Leroy is 10 years younger than me, his energy level is much higher than mine. So when we began playing together in our backyard, our people made sure I didn’t overexert myself.

As Leroy grew (and grew), he became like a bowling ball – and the rest of the world was bowling pins!

My pet parents trained him to be extra gentle around me. One of our favorite games now is for me to stand perfectly still in the middle of the yard while Leroy runs around me in circles. I can even lie down and take a little nap … and when I wake up, that silly pup is still madly running around me. Oh, to be a puppy again!

Although I still miss my cherished friend Larry, I now love Leroy with all my heart. He keeps me active and youthful, plus he likes to kiss my ears, which really tickles. My tail is wagging almost all the time!

 
Sophie was almost 84 dog years old when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge last November. She was adopted by i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman in 1998 from a Hawthorne, Calif., shelter. Sophie “Do-Do” loved long naps, looking out the front windows and, most of all, her best buddy, Leroy. Check out her other articles!