There's No Place Like Home

While we are in the midst of the dog days of summer, I have been thinking about the dogs in my life. I have three: our bouncing beagle Belle, and my two rescued granddogs, Turner and Cole. I include Turner and Cole because my husband and I do a lot of puppysitting so we spend a fair amount of time with them. Time spent with dogs means lessons learned, and I have learned something from each of these special creatures.

Turner is an eight-year-old mix of everything. My daughter adopted him from a no-kill shelter when he was about eight months old. Turner at some point in his younger days had been abused and to this day, he is afraid of pretty much everything. He puts on a brave face when needed, but for the most part, he lives in fear. Turner is a loveable, huggable big old guy. He’s good for a bit of conversation as he loves to talk, and he likes to be the center of the conversation.

So Turner is also a stay-at-home kind of guy which is unusual because he has traveled so much. Although adopted in West Virginia, Maryland was home for a while. Turner loved Maryland. He enjoyed our backyard and rides on the boat, but the family room was always his favorite spot, a nice comfortable corner on the rug. Turner loved evenings at home with the entire family seated around him. Life circumstances have, however, pushed Turner outside of his comfort zone, and he has become a traveling pooch.

Turner traveled to North Carolina to visit family. He enjoyed rest stops along the way where he met people from all over. Connecticut was a favorite place for Turner. We spent some time along the river in Niantic where he took pleasure in walking along the beach. He loved Baltimore and was even the “musical chairs” champ two years in a row at the American Visionary Arts Museum’s Pet Parade.

But Turner’s real travel experiences began after my daughter married and she and Turner moved to the Netherlands. He didn’t really appreciate flying but acclimated well to the Dutch lifestyle and living in a city. Turner has traveled to France, Belgium and throughout the Netherlands. He has run along the beach and stayed in hotels. He is a rather well-traveled canine.

Turner has voyaged by plane, boat, train, and even jogged along side his “parents” as they cycle through the cities of the Netherlands. He takes the bus when the family ventures to the city center. Let’s face it, Turner gets around!

But Turner is happiest at home, surrounded by those he loves. He has a special carpet in the living room that we refer to as his “island.” He’s most comfortable there. You can see it in his face. Turner has taught me that you can travel all around the world, but there really is “no place like home!”