a.k.a. V.J.

When I’ve seen dog shows on TV, the announcers will occasionally describe a breed as “an excellent companion animal.” I’m of the belief that any dog, if properly trained and socialized, can be an excellent companion for the right person, but I’ve also had enough dogs to know that some of them are more inclined to be your best buddy than others. Ursa, our Siberian Husky, is a wonderful pet, but she’s aloof and, generally speaking, could take or leave her human housemates. By contrast, our dog Millie is the excellent companion animal.

Millie came to us as last year a shelter dog on the eve of termination. Based on her age and circumstances, she was believed to be a “COVID puppy”– one of the many dogs adopted at the height of the pandemic when everyone was home, who were later abandoned when things returned more to normal. Perhaps it’s because of that abandonment, or the many months spent in a shelter, that Millie is relentlessly affectionate with her humans. She always wants to play, to tug, to fetch, to be on a lap, licking a face, or curled up at someone’s feet. In those pursuits, she doesn’t like to take “no” for an answer.

There’s something about Millie that reminds me of a prototypical movie dog. Not only does she always want to by one’s side, but she is scrappy, feisty, energetic, and prone to getting into comic misadventures. If a 1930s movie studio executive called Central Casting for a dog to appear as the hero’s canine sidekick in an adventure serial, he would have had something close to Millie in mind.

Given her sweet nature, I wonder what caused Millie’s former owner(s) to give up on her. She is undeniably a good girl. Maybe she was just too much dog for them. Perhaps her energy and intensity overwhelmed those people who were ultimately looking for a cute, low-maintenance lifestyle prop. Whatever the reasons, I can only be thankful that their misguided decision led to us adding a beloved family member. She is a sidekick extraordinaire.