In Praise of Magic

The other day a friend commented that she always remembers my dog Magic as being a boy.

I told her it was probably because I gave her a name that suggested the quality she contributes to the world, and the quality isn't being pretty or cute.

If you think about it, female dogs are usually given female names, which tend to be pretty sounding names. Male dogs may get names given to human men, but more often they are given quality names, names that say something about who they are as an individual.

Well male or female, my dog is Magic.

She has brought magic into my life, and seems to bring it with her everywhere she goes. Here's a little of her magic power.

Magic is a charmer. Her name may not be cute, but she definitely is. Doesn't your heart just melt looking into those pretty brown eyes? The sweetness of her nature comes through in those eyes.

Magic has a ridiculously long tongue for such a small dog. Beware if you go near! It's quick too, and she likes to lick people's mouths.

Magic is a lover not a fighter. Actually, she doesn't even seem to be capable of understanding aggression. At least she didn't before she was attacked by a raccoon in the backyard. She's been a little easier for me to convince not to try to play with a dog while it is in the midst of trying to attack her and its owner is trying to pull it back. She used to run circles around us all trying to get to such dogs, because she was convinced they most be trying to play fight with her. The only one who needs to be afraid of Magic is her little stuffed squirrel. Not even real squirrels really need to worry. Once she chased on into the bird netting around my tomatoes and the thing couldn't get out. Guess who was more terrified, the squirrel or Magic? If you said Magic, you are correct!

Magic also somehow manages to get me to go for a walk in the woods every single day, rain or shine. Even in pouring down rain, she still begs to go, and I still can't say no, despite her having a perfectly good doggy door and a fenced yard she could really go in by herself during the day. Sometimes I try to get her to let the idea go, but then I'll walk past the front door and she'll get so excited thinking that we're finally going for our daily walk that I just don't have the heart not to take her.

But the greatest magic she brings cannot be captured in any picture.

She has the ability to make me laugh for no reason, but the sheer joy of the thought of her. I know when I wake up that as soon as I go out into the living room where she sleeps that I'll be greeted by the happiest little companion and reminded that the day is meant to be enjoyed. And as I fall asleep, I will laugh again, remembering the silly things she's done that day.

She also has inspired the most outgoing nature within this introvert. Not only do I go out for a walk every single day now, instead of maybe a couple times a week before I got her, but I actually talk to every single person I pass! And forget it if they have a dog. Of course, the dogs have to greet, so we owners have to chat a bit. And then there's the dog park, super social territory there. Wherever we are going and whoever we will meet there, Magic will set the tone and greet the situation with her natural exuberance.

Sometimes I even forget to feed her. I'll get lost in my work, and have a very late lunch myself, so forget to feed her. She responds by going to where her food bowl should be then mimicking eating. I of course notice there is nothing there, and realize "Oh, there's no food there!"

She has also trained the neighbors to pet her and the children to want to take her for extra walks. She's just so fun, the way she bounces along with such eagerness at all times.

Magic also has a few neighbors she inexplicably doesn't like. I've trained her to only poop in greenery beside the road, but when we get to these neighbors' houses she decides to drop an extra log right in their driveway. She even cranks her head sideways to look at their house as she does it. And these are neighbors who don't have dogs, so it is definitely the human she is targeting for her disdain. I have no idea why. They are all quite pleasant toward her when we run into them on the road while walking. (Maybe she secretly knows I don't really care for them all that much?) I continue to work at getting her to spare all driveways her doggy deposits and stick to the foliage.

This is probably her one bad habit. One day I know she'll wind up in doggy heaven, because where else could she go? And when she's there, I'll still be laughing as I wake up at the memory of how she has trained me to greet each day. And laughing as I fall asleep to the thought of all the silly things I did that day myself. And I'll still be speaking to every person I pass on daily walks, though possibly not rain or shine anymore.

Such is the life that has been touched by Magic.