When I was five years old, my family adopted our first dog, Butch. I remember picking him out of the litter at the Humane League — he was the smallest, shyest puppy out of the bunch, but my brother and I had an immediate connection to him. Once we took him home, his timidness and anxious guard fell quickly after.
While Butch blossomed into an extroverted, friendly and playful dog, he also picked up on some other questionable traits. From stealing food from the dinner table, scratching every piece of furniture in the house and running away to the neighbor’s house countless times — we certainly had our hands full. Despite calling “Butch!” across the yard, he’d look us dead in the eyes and walk further away. But how could we be mad about it — he was just too cute.
When Thanksgiving time rolled around, my dad would tune in football on one TV and I’d turn The National Dog Show Presented by Purina on the other. Together, Butch and I would watch the well-groomed and well-trained dogs strut along the blue carpet. I know my dog wouldn’t have made the cut, but I wouldn’t trade Butch for any other pooch.
Five years later, our second dog, Kip, joined the family. Just like Butch, Kip started as a shy and timid puppy, but he warmed up to our family quickly. Growing up, Kip maintained his sweet, cuddly and gentle nature, but simultaneously picked up on his older brother’s behavior. As a rebellious team, they’d run off to the neighbors and destroy every dog toy with stuffing, resulting in a messy crime scene on the living room floor.
But at the same time, Butch now had a younger brother. Although their actions could be mischievous at times, it was comforting to know that they occupied themselves with each other while I was at school and my parents were at work.
Like brothers, Kip and Butch played outside and ate every meal together. Like partners in crime, they’d bark at the FedEx guy and roll in the mud after a rainstorm.
My family and I both love our dogs equally and individually, and although the bad behavior rubbed off on each other, so did the goodness. Without Butch, Kip may not have broken out of his introverted shell, and without Kip, Butch may have never traded up (some) troublemaking for tug-a-war. Butch passed away during my first year of college in the fall of 2021, and although Kip may have lost his brother, he continues to carry his friendly and playful nature with him always.
Kip and I intend to keep our annual streak of watching The National Dog Show hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia on Thanksgiving Day. This year’s competition will be at the Expo Center in Oaks, PA on November 16 and 17. Tickets and information are available at https://nds.nationaldogshow.com/.
It is the Saturday show (November 16) that will air on Thanksgiving Day on NBC, so the Expo Center can get crowded. Sunday (November 17) is almost as exciting if you want to avoid the traffic.
Nice!
What beautiful puppies!
Can’t wait for the dog show!