My life with dogs: A short introduction.

Greetings. Welcome to the Kitchen and letters blog.

This is the first official entry of the year. As I mentioned in my last post this year, I will write about my experiences, daily life, love, books, and whatever comes to mind. I have many things to get out of my chest and share with you. I'm a writer, besides all. Enjoy!

Are you a dog lover? What do dogs represent in your life? For me, dogs are the representation of happiness. From a young age, I decided unconsciously not to become a mom of humans kids. However, at the same time, I diced to be a dog mom. I have loved dogs since I can remember. The brother of my father gave me my first dog, Cabeck. He was a boxer, a beautiful brown and white boxer. He grew up to be a big playful dog. He grew up on the farm. I paid for his bills while I moved around. He stayed on the farm. One day he was after a female and got hit. It was a sad story.

We both were very young, which is not an excuse from my side, but I learned my lesson. I did not have any pets for a while. One of the first things I did when I moved back to Mexico was to own a dog. His name was Niño( kid or child). Niño was a solid and independent male with long hair and blue heeler. At that time, I was in a relationship(marriage), and when I left (divorced) that relationship, even when the dog was mine, my partner decided to keep the dog and not let me see him again, EVER! I was so eager to leave that I thought I would fight for him later, but he never let me see him again.

Niño lived a long, happy life. I know because, from time to time, I did see them walking in town. When I broke up with my ex-partner, I moved abroad for a year or so, and when I came back, I decided to get a dog if I could live with that dog from his/her beginning to the end. So, Jade came along, then Gaia, and now Agata. Border Collies and Jade chose me with those brown, naughty eyes and loyal personalities. All my girls have chosen me. I found something in them that I was missing. I kept my promise to Jade, even when it was one the most challenging thing I have ever done, to see her to the end. We had great adventures on the way. I left for a bit once and made sure that Gaia and Jade were being looked after; I trusted no one but my mother to do that job.

Yesterday Agata arrived, she is a two and half month border collie. The first time I set eyes on a border collie was Jade. Border Collies are special dogs; everyone says that about their dogs, but they are unique. You will get stopped in the street so many times you will find them observing you all the time, trying to analyze your steps, and when they know you better than you know yourself, they will anticipate your actions and guide you. Whoever you talk to that has had or has border collies will let you the same.

I decided to get Agata shortly after Jade passed because I knew she would have wanted joy in our home, she would have wanted Gaia to have someone to play with, to show her to be kind, and I would have liked that for Gaia too. Jade will always be my queen, the head of all the other border collies that follow.

When we arrived home, after we got a bit settle, I carried Agata to Jade's altar and introduced them to each other. I told Agata what a great dog Jade was, playful and kind. I named her Agata because I believe all our life situations, good and bad, are connected with a red ribbon, just like the Japanese belief. Jade had the name of a stone. Jade did not mother Agata; she did mother Gaia. Agata is a black and white border collie, as Jade was. Therefore, I decided to find a name for a red semi-precious stone. In that way, the red ribbon will connect both dogs, connecting them to me.

It's taken me a long time to write this, as Agata is sleeping beside me. I'm sitting in the corner of the couch, so she is comfortably glued to me. I'm in love again, yes, I'm. She is tiny, smart, intelligent, adventurous, and curious, showing how she communicates with the world. It has not been not even 24 hrs, and I can not stop staring at her. Gaia, my other girl, is jealous, but she is super loved. It is like when a new brother comes to the family.

Dogs are like little kids. They need so much from you, especially puppies. You need to train them, feed them, ensure they do not eat anything in the house, and show them where to go to the bathroom. They depend on you; they are firm yet delicate. They are so brave, they have left the security of their mother and siblings to move in with you, and they trust you with their lives. Our responsibility when we have a new family member is to love them! to make them our family, and ensure they have everything they need.

I did not want to have kids, I decided to have dogs instead. They are similar, as I have explained. I take my responsibility as a dog mum very seriously. There is nothing I will not do for my girls; I will always care for and protect them, feed them the best I can, train them, walk them, and, yes, spoil them as much as I can, in case you were wondering, my phone is full of pictures of them, and I do have an Instagram account for them. Dogs fill up my life like no other thing. One of the reasons why I live in Mexico is because I can have dogs, which are less expensive than in other places.

Why do I love my dogs so much? In a few words, they give me peace. Investing in a dog is the most rewarding experience you can have. Is the only investment of time, money, and energy that continues to give, and give, is the only love that will give your love back! They are my rock, my trainers, my psychologist, my friends, and my kids. I can train them, educate them and give them love. You will never be alone when you have dogs as part of your family. My girls are also why I wake up and come home daily. I make better decisions. It might sound like a lot of pressure to put in a dog, but they are meant for that. I look after them as if they were my kids because, for me, they are. I suffer if they suffer, I am happy when they are happy, and I cook for them as if I am cooking for them. They are my family. I can not imagine or sense my life without dogs, can you?

With love,

Iliana