Studio Dog

Years ago I read on Bob Genn's newsletter that he recommended artists get a dog to keep them company in the studio. Bob was very attached to his dog and took her almost everywhere. I lost my beloved australian shepherd, Blue, back in May of this year. I never thought I would find another dog that I could connect to like Blue, but 6 weeks ago, Havoc came into my life.

Havoc belonged to my youngest sister, Barb, who died tragically in a car accident almost 2 months ago. Barb left behind 4 border collies- Havoc was the only male and was the daddy dog to several litters of puppies.

I didn't think I could handle a border collie- we live in a townhouse and I have seen how ramped up border collies can be from my years competing in dog agility. However, I knew that Barb would be so  happy if I gave one of her dogs a home, so I decided to try. Havoc came into our house and has brought nothing but joy. He is kind, loving, calm, sensitive and very, very smart. He is also fun and a bit of a goof. He makes me get outside every day,  take time to play and is always ready with a hug if I need one. He has helped immeasurably in my grief around losing my sister.

The postscript to this story is that all four dogs have found wonderful homes. My artist sister, Suzanne, took Truly- the baby mama to Havoc's puppies. Suzanne and her husband, David, have found Truly to be every bit as special as Havoc. We get the dogs together regularly and they are always delighted to see each other.

So the studio has a comfy dog bed in it and I am never working alone anymore. I feel very blessed...