Dog Smiles

Did you know that dogs can smile? If you have one, I'm sure you already know this. My husky, Sasha, smiles as well as glares at me. She raises her eyebrows and even winks. She sneezes and even has a devious twinkle when she does something naughty.  You may be asking why this is important to know. Well, I was lucky enough to catch my dog in a blissful moment this weekend. All of the human like traits expressed her utter delight. Let me explain....

For those of you who follow me, you know that my dog had surgery a little less then a year ago (Creamsicle or You'd never know). I have been super careful about limiting the space that Sasha has to run. My dad built her a ramp from the deck to the yard and even fenced off a safe space for her to play. Sasha has wanted to spend most of her time indoors of late and makes her outside trips brief. With the weather getting nicer, I've been trying to keep her out more. On Saturday, I gave her scruff a good rub and left her outside to enjoy the warm sun. I closed the sliding glass door and watched the begging eyes plead to let her back in. It broke my heart to turn away and get to work. She would be fine and this is what needs to be done to get her life back to normal.

I began working with my dad on the upstairs bathroom project but stopped to check on my girl. I went to the closest window, just like I would with my own children. My eyes scanned our yard in search of a black and white mass. Nothing to see...

                   Wait!

                              What is that thing coming up the hill?

                                                                                                You have got to be kidding me!

My eyes did not deceive me. On the wrong side of my fence was my black and white masterpiece. A smile spread from one side of her head to the next. Eyes were bright and ears were perked up. Her hair swayed with the breeze and her legs were lifting high. It reminded me of horses prancing about during competitions. Her chest was pushed forward as she took in every fresh breathe of air. She surveyed her land with pride as she worked her way back to the deck. I quickly ran downstairs in fear that she would hurt herself again. Visions of her accident replayed in my mind as I bounded down the staircase. I made it to the sliding glass door in a flash and was met with a smile and a slight raise of an eyebrow.

"Mom, what are you so worried about?", said her expression, "I'm just taking a little walk."

My heart was about to burst out of my chest. She wasn't limping or walking gingerly. She trotted up the stairs and waited for me to readjust the make-shift gate that was supposed to keep her safe. She rubbed against my leg in reassurance and let herself back into the house. A glance back put my heart at ease. Sasha flashed me her pearly whites while her eyes danced. I guess that I'll have to take a breathe and give my girl a little more room to roam.