My little dog was beautiful, stubborn, manipulative, and he loved me more than he loved Milk-Bones. And he really loved Milk-Bones.
Reno was a Shi Tzu. We got him when he was a puppy. A mischievous puppy. He made us laugh all the time with his doggie antics.
No matter what time of day or night, whenever I came home, he was at the door to greet me, his tongue hanging out. He was so happy to see me he would run back and forth in front of the door in a frenzy; spinning around and around until I walked in.
He would greet me at the door each day, ready for his walk. It was my fault he was expecting me to walk in, put my briefcase down, pick up his lease and walk him “right the hell now.”
When he was small, I worried about him having to hold it all day, so I would rush in from work and take him out. Well, he considered that hurrying our normal routine.
He was a charmer. He taught both cats to knock food down to him from the kitchen counter. We once caught our Maine Coon trying to drag an entire turkey off the table for their enjoyment. It was so funny that the cat was pulling the turkey and the dog was cheerleading. We forgot to scold them.
Reno was with me for 16 years. I would have a big success, go out for a nice dinner with my husband to celebrate. When I returned home, I would bring a hamburger for my dog and celebrate with him.
I miss the long walks we would take.
I miss him sitting on my feet as if they were not there.
I miss feeding him and watching him eat the food appreciably, now and then looking up at me happily.
I miss his stubbornness as I tried to each him a new trick. You needed to show Reno who was the leader. Since he was smart, he would work to manipulate you into doing what he wanted. He was so delightful that it was easy to forget that you were the pack leader.
I would not pass up watching him look out the front window. He was the protector of our home. Anyone walking up to the door got shown who was in charge.
I miss Reno sitting on my lap as I performed mundane tasks, his trusting eyes looking up at me as I rubbed his belly. Reno was my boy.
