Black & White Wednesday: Chris (aka: Dog-with-no-brain)

Although there is no strange distortion to his face, it still reminds me of those greeting cards.

You know the ones I'm talking about...the sweet little dachshund's snout is stretched across the card, or the extreme close-up of the kitten's face with inordinately large eyes! LMBO! Poor pets: often bearing the brunt of our humor!  Have to admit though, am not feeling exactly "poor pet" where this cute little guy is concerned!

This is Chris.  AKA "Dog-with-no-brain".  "Chris Humphreys" if you ask mySamuelson.  Every time he mentions his full name, I'm always left with the feeling that somewhere along this journey, I bore another child.  However, unlike the other three, I have no recollection of the pregnancy, the infant or toddler stages with this one!

Christmas Eve, Santa and his elves left Chris, a then 7 month-old (pre-pubescent) puppy, as an extra-special present for mySamuelson.  Word is that Chris almost didn't make the trip:  thanks to his madcap foster mom from Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue.  That is a whole other post, though!  

Chris is slowly integrating himself into our family.  I haven't determined yet if the "slowly" is his fault or mine.  It's been 7 years since we've had a puppy.  One conveniently forgets the annoying aggravating frustrating particularities surrounding one.  You know, the minor details like they chew EVERYTHING...especially shoes.  Sam is minus 2 pair, Madalyn 3, Rick a pair of boots and a pair of crocs and clogs for me.  Yes...we're idiots.  Took us 8 sets to "get smart" and start placing them out-of-reach!  Then there's the pissing and pooping all over my house that DOES NOT sit well with an OCD "clean freak".  As for the "unmannerly disposition" that seems to accompany all puppies: let's just suffice to say he "informally" failed the Beginner Obedience Class mySamuelson and I took him to weekly at a local training school.  I say "informally" because he received a certificate, but I think that was more to placate in the event of "unhappy/questioning" clients, for we were informed that he would need some more work before he could take part in the second level class.  

All of this pales in comparison, however, to the pain of hearing one of us accidentally call him "Weston".

  

  For those unaware, Weston was our first golden retriever "rescue".  He actually turned out to be a mix, but that's an entirely different post, as well!  Rick and I adopted him a few short months after we got married.  Sadly, he died at the tender young age of 7 last year in June (2009) to lymphoma.  [Aside: Damned cancer!]  While Chris and Weston are most definitely polarities in personality and temperament, they strongly physically resemble one another: minus the chow features Weston grew into.  He ended up being a Golden/Chow mix.   We all miss him, terribly. 

As for Chris...I have to share with you the most amazing thing.  So amazing it makes all the silly, petty complaints above exactly that: silly and petty.  As well as COMPLETELY obsolete.  You see, Sam loves Chris.  Loves him with an innocence that casts a shadow of utter triviality on the "problem behaviors".  With the source of "love" being God, and given only good things come down from the Father, we will embrace the blessing of Chris for Christ's sake and for our son's.

I do pray, however, that this stage passes soon!

The "icing on the cake"?  He named Chris after a missionary!  Chris Reel was introduced to him and his Kindergarten class over the 2009 holidays in his christian school's weekly chapel.  He recently got to meet Chris, who was in-between mission fields.  I do believe it has been the highlight of his school year.  Chris (the missionary) gave Sam a picture of himself with a child he ministered to, along with a request to remember him in prayer.  That picture holds a special and permanent place on our refrigerator.

Oh, and the "dog-with-no-brain" aka?

Let's put it like this; He's been stung 6 different times in the same day by Sugar's bees! 

Here's the above picture in color.  I actually prefer this one.  He has such a rich golden color that's lost in black & white translation.

To join in the fun of Black & White Wednesday, hop on over to Lisa's blog at The Long Road To China.