Let Me Tell You a Story About Bella . . .

Bella, sitting here wishing I'd throw her ball instead of blog.

Disclaimer: This post DOES relate to running (toward the end) so still qualifies for my blog, but, nevertheless, may annoy you if you've never loved a dog.

Let me tell you a little story about Bella (affectionately known to me as Bellabelle). When Rick and I arrived home from our wedding in Hawaii to start our new "married life," we began the slow process of talking about possibly getting a dog. Big decisions take us a long time. Heck, it took us 7 years to decide to get married.

As time passed, we flip-flopped our positions on adopting a dog. For a while, I was ready and Rick wasn't. Rick finally came around and decided it was time for a dog and then low-and-behold, I was feeling overwhelmed by life and couldn't imagine taking on another responsibility. I was worried I would be left with constant guilt if we got a dog and then had to leave it home alone all day while we worked, rushing home to let it out all the time.

So, we had pretty much moved on from the idea of getting a dog and probably more than a month had passed since we'd even talked about the issue. Then one Sunday morning I went to Paradise Bakery as I do most Sunday mornings to enjoy a low-fat rasberry muffin and . . . yes . . . a Diet Coke. As I was leaving, I saw an SUV that had an advertisement on the window for "Golden Retriever Rescue of Arizona."

I came home from Paradise Bakery that morning and got on the computer to . . . just out of curiosity . . . look up Golden Retriever Rescue of Arizona. Rick was still lazing away in bed watching some quality Sunday morning television. I walked into the bedroom . . . sobbing . . . sat on the edge of the bed and said,

"I'm fairly certain I want to get a dog now."

Admittedly, a little dramatic and when I walked in, I think Rick thought I'd just killed my best friend or something, but that's when it all began!

We went through the process of being "approved" to rescue a Golden. It was quite a process. Applications, interviews, home inspections, whew! Unfortunately, believe it or not, the organization didn't have any Goldens looking for homes when we were approved. We knew we couldn't adopt a super young puppy so had requested a dog 2 years or older. We figured, we'd just wait it out until one became available.

In the mean time, our loving family began sending us MANY listings from the Humane Society and Craig's List for other dogs that needed to be adopted. I had asked Rick to be in charge of the process because seeing the ads for the dogs was just too tough on me. Each time, it left me in tears just as the Golden Rescue website had. He understandingly agreed.

One Friday while I was at work, Rick called me and said, "I have an opportunity to go look at a dog. She's 11 months old. She is part or all Golden Retriever. The owners are being evicted from their house and are moving into a hotel." 11 months was younger than we had planned, but we pursed it anyway.

Rick met Bella before I did. I couldn't stand the thought of meeting a dog who wasn't right for us and then having to have this mental image of "the dog we didn't adopt" in my head forever. When Rick met Bella, she didn't have a name. She had spent her first HOT Arizona summer living outside in a dirt-filled backyard. She had received no vaccinations in her first year of life and had not been spayed. She was covered in ticks and afraid of most everything. She was afraid to come in the house. She was afraid of anyone who approached her when they were standing.

The three pictures below were taken the day we adopted Bella, after she'd had her first bath. If you don't know her very well, you may have a hard time telling much of a difference but compare the picture at the top of this post to the three pictures below. She was so mangy and skinny and her hair had no fluff at all.




Almost exactly a year ago today, Rick and I adopted Bella.

All I can say is that . . . for me . . . there is NOTHING in this world that embodies pure, unadulterated happiness and joy as much as Bella does. She is sweetness and love and fun and relaxation all in one big fluffy orange package. She is the perfect combination of calm and puppy-floppy-energy. She loves to snuggle and she also loves to get really riled up and whine with excitement about her tennis ball. She is curious and gentle and really just never wants to leave our side ever. EVER. She sees the world so simply, and some days that really helps give me perspective. She continues to amaze us with her amazingness and I couldn't have ever imagined a more perfect dog for us. I still cannot belive how exceptionally lucky we got when we found Bella, and pretty much every day I turn to Rick and say, "I REALLY love our dog."

So, how does this post relate to running?

Today was Rick's day off and he took Bella to the vet! She was due for her yearly vaccinations, and we had a few questions regarding her marathon training

Despite my previous posts about the research I had done regarding dogs running and how to do it safely, I still had some lingering concern that I was somehow subjecting her to something that wasn't good for her or would do some long-term harm. I had read that sometimes larger dogs are more prone to hip problems and that repeated running and exercise in a dog that is already predisposed to hip problems, would accelerate the damage.

This is the actual x-ray the vet took of Bella's hips today:




He said her hips are BEAUTIFUL! There is no concern about inherited hip displasia what so ever!

He also said that since Bella is building slowly with me in the training, that there is no reason she can't run long distances, even a marathon distance!Squeeeeeeeeeeee! Bella's all clear to run however much she wants with me. The vet said some dogs run 40-50 miles a week.

He did suggest that we increase her protein intake and maybe give her a glucosamine supplement just for insurance against any possible undernutrition and future wear-and-tear on her hips.

Bella, my sweet princess, there's nothing stopping us now!