Dakota

We've had a houseful of pets.

At one time we had two turtles, two birds, two rabbits and two dogs. The rabbits and one bird have since crossed over, but this is a story about Dakota, our 135 pound four legged baby.

Our first child, Dakota came to us when he was six months old, probably weighing in at around 80 lbs and as tall as a small pony. A rottie mix, he is a magic dog. He has had past lives as a 12 year old boy and an old indian.

We were told to crate train him, so we bought the biggest crate we could find and crammed him in there. He broke out. We crammed him back in and put chains all around the crate. He broke out. Ok, we decided crates are not for you, you can have the whole kitchen. If we ever needed a nanny cam, these were the days.

Dakota would somehow take things off of the kitchen counters. I don't mean the stuff that was near the edges that he could reach with his teeth. I mean all the way in the back corners. We came home one day and he had climbed out of the bay window is about a foot tall and in the back of the kitchen behind the sink. The only way to do this was to fly. (Well, he does have space on his shoulder blades where his angel wings come out, but we have never actually seen him fly.) He tore our kitchen door apart and climbed over it to get to the rest of the house.

Ok, we decided maybe a whole house dog. Well, let's see, he ate our couch. He turned the on the gas on our stove, most likely with his paws, trying to cook something but decided to eat the chicken in the sink raw instead, after which, not being able to figure out how to turn off the gas, he hid in a back bedroom until I came home late that evening. Goddess is good. Nothing blew up.

We made it through puppyhood. We added a second rottie, a princess that we named Grace Diane. It took us three years to find her. Dakota was very picky in choosing his companion. We had our beautiful daughter a few years after that and were strongly encouraged to "get rid" of the dogs. Thankfully we did not. Olivia and the dogs love each other. Both are sweet gentle loving beings. They let Olivia climb all over them and barely lift a head.


Dakota has had two leg surgeries and both times during his recovery I would spend all night laying on the floor with him, talking to him and giving him reiki and holding his head and paws.

He likes to snuggle. He comes up and puts his paw or head in my lap when I am feeling sad. Likewise, when he is feeling sad, hurt or scared, he comes and puts his paw or head in my lap. He is a small ponied size, 135 pound, 4 legged healer.

Yesterday I slammed my finger in a drawer in the kitchen. I was screaming as silently as I could so as not to alarm Olivia. She just glanced over at me. Gracie was nowhere to be seen. But Dakota, the magic dog, got up and ran to my rescue. He tried to give me his paw,and put my hand gently in his mouth and I am sure was trying to ease my pain by sending back the love in the same manner in which I so often do with him. It worked. I felt better instantly.

Then he rolled over on his back for a belly rub. Which he got. :)

Blessed Be the animals.