Guess what?! Today is my baby’s birthday! 🎂 Rebel is 9 years old today, though she doesn’t act a day over 4. She still gets zoomies on occasion, LOVES to go for walks, and picks on the other animals like it’s her job (Cassie and Sadie are her main targets). Now, I’m not sure if this is her exact birthday, but based on how old she was when I got her, it’s close enough. Of course I had to make her a “cake” out of wet dog food, American cheese, peanut butter and whipped cream, complete with a Pupperoni candle. It was extra gross, but she devoured it. Peanut butter on cheese might be the grossest thing I’ve ever done, but thankfully I didn’t have to eat it. Don’t worry, Sadie and Buttercup also got a little bit of all of the goodies 😉
In Rebel’s birthdays past, she has also gotten toys, but unfortunately that seems to be one sign of her age. She just doesn’t play with toys like she used to. One year, I took her to the beach to romp in the water, since she LOVES that, but the beach we went to no longer allows dogs (we may sneak over there one morning before summer ends). One year she got a neck ribbon and a freeze dried chicken breast. Do I spoil my dogs? Maybe… but they deserve it!
As a puppy and young adult dog, I will admit Rebel was quite the handful. She is a boxer/husky mix and had more energy than I knew a single being could possess. She got zoomies and would run up and down the long hallway in my house at 11:30 every night like clockwork, and then would demand we go to bed when she was done! Rebel was, and still is, so sassy. If you yell at her and point your finger at her, she talks back. If her food bowl is empty, she throws a fit. I remember that she was so mad at me when I took her to the vet to get fixed, and also very dramatic when I brought her home. She wouldn’t eat out of my hand, but would eat anything my roommate gave her. And to top off the attitude, she was quite destructive back in the day, but not with her mouth like a normal dog. Nope, she would DIG. Some things that Rebel has dug holes in: the yard (obviously), my couch, my mattress, and maybe the worst of all, my carpet. While I was VERY angry about all these things that she destroyed at the time, looking back I realize it wasn’t entirely her fault. It was during a time in my life when I wasn’t home like I wanted to be, and should have been, because I was working 2 jobs to pay the bills. All of these things were stuff that I would have replaced eventually, but would have preferred my time line instead of hers 😅 I slept on the couch (before she dug a hole in it) for a while until I could afford a new mattress (she had to dig in the middle of said mattress). Then, used a blanket to cover the hole on the couch for a while until I could replace that. Then, I used a cheap rug to cover the spot in the carpet until I could replace that, and then ended up selling said house. Thankfully the only thing she continues to destroy is bed sheets. But I think the whole point of me telling you all of this is to say that despite all of this, Rebel has grown to be such an amazing dog. She has been with me through some of the darkest times in my life, literally licking away my tears and enduring hugs and cuddles that I know make her uncomfortable, just because I needed it. While there is no way she knows this, since she is a dog, she has always met me with grace, which I could learn from her. No matter how long I left her alone ( or with a sitter), or how mad I was at her, she has always forgiven me and met me with a kiss that lets me know. She meets me at the door every time I come home with enough excitement to make it clear she wants me there, but not so much that its overwhelming (*cough* Sadie). Rebel is down for any adventure I throw at her, from driving 12 hours to the ocean to going for a walk down the street. Here’s to hoping we still have a few good years to make more amazing memories ❤️
