Does This Car Make My Butt Look Big?

Does this car make my butt look big?

I grew up around dogs. All types of dogs: German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Coon dogs, Shih Tzus,  Poodles, Dachshunds and Terriers. I had a particular fondness for Shepherds, though. I loved them for their intelligence and saddleback coats. Beautiful creatures. I'd had a German Shepherd named Homie (yes, that was his name...do you remember "Homie the Clown don't play that!" lol). I had raised him from a six-week-old pup and cared for him until he was 10 years old. He had accompanied me to my first PCS to Germany. He moved with me to Georgia and then back to Oklahoma. In Spring 2000, he was struck by a car and made his way home where he died with his head in my lap. He was a loyal companion up to his very last breath. After losing him, I considered getting a puppy. Being a new Mom at the time, I realized that I didn't have time to care for my little one and a puppy too. So, I sat that idea to the side. When my son was a toddler, he asked for a kitten. My husband and son were very much cat people. They tried to talk me into getting a pretty little kitty for snuggling on the couch. I had considered the idea of it, but had not put forth any effort into finding one for the "boys". By happenstance, a stray appeared on our doorstep about that time. I had never "owned" a cat in my life. I didn't even know where to begin. My sister proved invaluable in educating me on the care of the newest member of our family. And that one turned into another....and another. Throughout the years, we had many cats. Some were strays that we took in and rehabilitated until we found them good homes. We had several litters at different times because I was unaware that the Momma kitty we "adopted" was heavy with babies inside. I became accustomed to having a cat in the house. I eventually fell in love with them. However, there was always a part of me that longed for a dog. A big dog. Another German Shepherd.

One day, my son and I stopped at a convenience store to buy bottled water for my son before his horseriding lesson. As we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed a truck parked near the curb with a sign reading....MASTIFF PUPPIES~FOR SALE. My son begged me to go see the puppies. "Pleeeeease Mom", he said. "I just wanna look", he said. It didn't take much persuading. I am a sucker for babies! We made our way across the parking lot. We peeked into the back of the truck and saw the cutest.little.faces.ever!! There were two apricot-colored puppies with black masks staring back at us. The lady explained how the "accidents" happened with her female and her son's new male. They were not breeders and did not want to be. They used them to patrol her property and livestock. She stated that she was selling them, but if she could just find goods homes that she would just give them away. She said most people did not want a HUGE dog like the Mastiff breed. I told her that we were just looking at them....juuust loooking at them.....just.looking.at.them.....with those soft brown eyes....and those velvety black muzzles....and those big clumsy paws! I mean, who could resist a face like this???

 

 

 One of those became Sergeant (Sarge). The one who came home with us that day. From the first day, he was the best puppy I have EVER had. I have raised many dogs and know all about house training, kenneling, feeding, etc. I knew it was hard work and took dedication to train them. But Ole Sarge, he was a breeze. He never once peed or pooped in the house. He was not house broken when we got him. The lady had said so (she said he had been outside in a yard with the momma and hardly messed with). He instinctively knew to go outside away from his den. He would walk the farthest away that he could and in the back corner would do his business. Never ever by the house. Never ever in the house. He quickly picked up commands: sit, lay, rollover, stay. He then progressed to responding to "come" no matter where he was. With those mastered, we moved on to learning sign language. No, not ASL....that would be remarkable!  I'm talking visual commands made with simple hand gestures. As the days passed, this lil' pup grew.......

 

 

And Grew........................................................................







 

 

.................Annnd GREW...................................................................


 

into the big, goofy dog that we know and love today. This big baby is a treasured member of our family. I never imagined just how much of an impact this big dog would make in our lives. Shepherds? Pffft! Mastiffs have stolen my heart for good. Sarge is GREAT with children. He is a best friend to my son. Often sleeping beside his bed.

 

 

 

 

 He is GREAT with other animals. He played gently with six stray kittens that showed up at the house one summer. He follows my son as he rides his pony around the property. He stays right on the horse's heels wherever they may go.
 

 

Sergeant is the biggest lover dog there is! He will rest his head on your leg or chest whenever he needs extra lovin's. He attempts to sit in our laps. When that fails, he is content just leaning into you with all of his weight.
 

 

 

With strangers or welcomed guests in our home, he has never shown an ounce of aggression. Instead, his quiet confidence and stable temperment makes him the perfect family dog with little ones coming in and out of the home. He loves children and "shows out" whenever they play. He bows, chases thrown toys (for awhile..lol), will "look away" and "touch" for a treat. For those intimidated by his size, he rolls over and flashes his award-winning smile as if to break the ice.

 

 

 



 

You'll be surprised to learn that our Sarge is now an indoor horse....I mean dog. I have slobber trails and mammoth-sized pawprints on my floors that I clean throughout the day. But we were missing out on the best qualities of this breed by keeping him outside by himself. So, if you happen upon a black-masked sweetie in the back of a truck, don't hesitate to take him home. He'll befriend your child(ren) and take over your couch.....and he'll definitely win your heart!