This week’s Thinking Out Loud has gone to the dogs! I guess the animals are never very far from my thoughts. Unless I’m shopping or thinking about food.

Thermoballs for dogs
Seriously, they should make these! Odds thoughts brought to you from my runs . . .
Dogs’ Preferences
Dogs, like humans, have a dominant side. Left or right. I’m not sure I ever noticed which side Chester & Lola preferred, but I do know that Chester liked to go up the stairs on my right, and Lola likes to go up the stairs on my left.
Weird.
Although left does = Lola.
Gotta admit I’m enjoying one dog
Maybe it was just that Chester was so much work. And yes, I still miss him — of course. It still comes over me in waves at times.
But life is a lot simpler now. And I’m enjoying having some freedom again. A lot of freedom again.
But Chester’s ghost is everywhere
In our bed. In the kitchen. Whenever I get myself a banana. In my car. On our walks.
Apparently we were a real fixture in the neighborhood. Everyone thought they were so cute and of course we walked almost every day, sometimes twice a day.
And just this week someone commented to me while I was out walking Lola: don’t you have two? She was very sweet, though, and talked about how cute they were.
Matching outfits
Is it wrong that I match Lola’s leash to her coat when I can? Yes, I have a pink coat and leash for her. And pink sweater. And sometimes I’m in a pink coat too. With a pink hat.

Really strongly. I kept thinking of him running with me, with those silly chihuahua ears standing up in the wind.
I’m planning to start adding stories about all the animals, mostly from me, some from Mr. Judy too, and I think I’ll write about this run in that section.
Let’s just leave it at it made me smile.
Have you ever noticed if your animals have a dominant side?
I’m linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for her:

I have run the same routes with my 3 dogs who I have had in succession rather than at the same time. I often see them running with me and Max in my minds eye, their tails high and joyfull
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I actually could run with them together, only they weren’t runners. They’d run for maybe a minute, and then they were done.
I can’t imagine having to take 3 of them out in succession!
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It was really hard for me to deal with the “ghost” shortly after losing my dog. I’d expect to see her waiting to greet me in the garage, laying in the middle of the hallway so that I’d have to step over her, sitting in the back seat… 9 years later and I -still- get hit by it sometimes. But it’s a beautiful thing to be able to feel that much love.
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Yes, I totally agree that it’s better to have loved and lost than to never love at all.
It’s not so much that I expect to see him somewhere, more that I’m sad when he isn’t.
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❤
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Animals are such a blessing. It’s sad to say goodbye. I’m thankful that God gave us the capacity to love animals and people.
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I think dogs are such creatures of habit. I never noticed if Cleo had a dominant side! And she didn’t need a coat–her fur was so thick. But I bet the doggie thermoball would be cute.
Yep, Cleo’s ghost is everywhere. I have to pick up dropped food from the floor now. There’s still fur balls on the floor (the cleaning lady comes tomorrow, so it will be all gone). I keep looking for her when I come home. Sigh.
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Chester’s fur was REALLY thick, too — but chis have like no body fat. Although the short amount of his life Chester was healthy, he tended towards chubby. Keeping weight on Lola is hard!
Of course any edible food is gone. And my house is always a giant hairball. The company that cremated Chester send us a ton of his fur, and we’d snipped a bit before, but seriously, it will go with my previous cats’ fur that I never look at. Although it makes me smile when we move and come across it.
Big hugs, Wendy. I can tell you almost a month later I’m doing much better, but it’s still hard. I suppose it’s just proof of how much we loved & were loved.
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Awww, so beautiful! Love this! Love that picture of Chester, how perfect! Yes, gather your animal stories, and from Mr. Judy too (lol, that made me smile)! But to answer your question… no, I haven’t noticed animals having a dominant side… well, my cats anyway. I’m going to have to play paws with them and see what I come up with! That’s a fabulous observation!
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I have to imagine cats have a dominant side, too. But I know for sure dogs do!
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I’m sure cats do too… I would think anyway as it makes total sense. It’s become a challenge now to figure it out, 🙂
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Our dog was dominant in that he must have been part shepherd – if he wanted something he would walk behind us and guide us to the left or right to where he wanted us to go, just like when dogs herd sheep. Man I miss that! He didn’t like to walk (would go half a block and then lay down and I would have to carry him back), so I’m not sure if he was left or right pawed!
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When I was a kid we had a sheltie that herded us!
Chester loved his walks & so does Lola. We typically walk a mile & a half a day & they’re little things!
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