Rottie-Wiley

Anyone who knows ZoKo at all knows Rottie. You've been pounced by him, pinned by him, hugged by him, and licked by him. And everyone knows how great his tail wags are and how perfect his ears are for sopping up wet tears. Rottie has been with ZoKo for around 7 years now, and has seen her through many things, from nightmares to scary movies, to trips to Colorado and my own wedding in Arkansas. He's curled up in her arms every night and reading books with her every day, without fail... This, of course, takes its toll on a dog, even a stuffed one. He's faded and lighter in color than he used to be. His collar is still hanging on by a thread in one place and has become a leash. One ear has a hole, and the other has been sewn up. He's lost a few inches in height from matted stuffing and multiple washings... But all these things take place over time, day by day. You never really notice it much, it's just part of who he is. He calls them "love marks", no regrets there...

So what do you do, as a mommy, when you find Rottie's twin at a thrift shop for $1.48? You call Rottie up (he's waiting in the car with everyone else, seeing as you ran in solo), and ask him if he'd be willing to let his brother come home with him. The resounding "yes" bark can be heard quite clearly and thus you head for check out, right?... Wiley is Rottie's identical twin brother, same manufacturer, same age, maybe even the same lot number (Rottie's tag is faded past recognition, so you can't even tell it ever had ink on it). Wiley, however, has led a much different life. He looks brand new. Fur completely unmatted, unfaded. Ears still held in place by that one lonesome stitch. Collar immaculate and shiny. The only thing that shows his age is a slightly yellowed tag. Yes, yellowed. Not faded. Not ruffled. Yellowed. This boy has spent at least 7 years sitting on a shelf, almost untouched...

I'm not saying that's always a bad thing, some people view their stuffed animals as something pretty to look at. It's just a foreign concept to us. Any time you see us out of the house, I can promise you there are at least four critters in the car waiting for our return. They go for rides, snuggle for books, cuddle for movies, and give tail wags and licks if you're down. They pounce and laugh and roll over and beg. That's just how they are, and I wouldn't change it for the world...

When I first got Wiley, ZoKo was squeezing Rottie (she hadn't realized how much he'd changed over the years) and crying. I tried to reassure her that Rottie was okay, that he liked being her dog and having all those signs of wear he'd so proudly earned. She said she wasn't crying for Rottie, she was crying for Wiley. Because he probably didn't even know what it was like to have a warm bed to sleep in or to snuggle with someone for a book. He was so untouched, that he must have been really lonely all these years... I was fighting back tears. She was right. I'm sure his previous owners loved him in their own way, but that was so much different from our world, the way ZoKo's been raised and taught to "love" these critters. It's amazing how much different worldviews can impact even the smallest things in your life. Nothing you do goes unnoticed, even if it takes 7 years to become apparent.

Meanwhile, the girls have been making new tags for the dogs so they'll feel closer to each other, and they keep assuring Wiley that he's in a good home and will never feel lonely. Here's a picture of the two brothers reunited at last. Rottie is the slightly faded, slightly shorter one on the left. Doesn't he look proud?

PS - For anyone curious, Rottie and Wiley are Rottweillers. Rottie (also callen Rotten) is named for the first part of the word. Wiley (short for Wiler) is the second part of the word. Clever, right? :P ...peace...