Besides affinities for treats, bones, walks, squeaky toys and lifting their left legs when they pee, Darcy and Penny are not much alike. This angered me beyond reason for a few days, but just like I thought my over-hairsprayed bangs were fantastic in fifth grade, I now see how I was so, so wrong.

Penny is a product of dog parents who spend ridiculous amounts of time, money and energy keeping her happy. She’s social and gentle with all dogs and people because we taught her to be. There’s been no other dog like her, and won’t ever be again. As it should be.

Darcy has had a rougher go of it – she’s 2 and yet her medical history only goes back to July, when she was finally spayed and treated for heartworm and kennel cough. I have no idea what happened in her past, but it left her skittish and wary of people, especially men. Can’t blame her.

So while Chris and I are busy de-programming her nervous ways and mulling training classes this fall, I’ve decided, every day, to find ways to celebrate Penny and Darcy’s differences.

Darcy:

1. Has one straight ear, one floppy

2. Is TALL! (Dad calls her "Toto on stilts")

3. Licks my feet

4. Uses her dog bed

5. Can scratch her ear with her back leg while standing

6. Adores her crate and sleeps in it

7. Can hop into a car and onto a bed without help

8. Could give a rip about the vacuum cleaner

Decent start for now, will add more as I discover them!