Reggie

Reggie had a rocky few years before he came into my life. His original owners boarded him multiple times with a vet while they worked out the details of their divorce, his final stay lasting six weeks. Finally, they relinquished custody of Reggie to a standard poodle pet rescue group. But by this time, the effects of Reggie's yo-yo existence had made him stressed, surly, and insecure. He lived briefly with three different pet foster-parents, each time becoming more territorial and agitated in spite of their best efforts.

In the beginning, Reggie had a Jeckyl-Hyde personality. With me, he was loving, loyal, and relatively calm, although his neediness was always close to the surface. But, he could turn aggressive very quickly with others. He bit my son, Ian, and best friend, Lisa, the first time that he met each of them. Life with Reggie was challenging the first few years.

Eventually, he mellowed and became playful and affectionate with others--proof that love and firm discipline can overcome bad behavior. Reggie saw me through my father's illness and death and assorted other dramas of life. He was steadfast, loving, followed me everywhere as if I was the most interesting person on earth, and was endlessly entertaining. So much so, that I featured him in a book project, "Travel Adventures with Poodle Boy." He died before the book was finished, but lives forever in my heart. If it's possible to have a four-legged, furry soul mate, I did.