You wouldn't doubt the love of your dog

If you have read my column before, you probably know that I have dogs.

I never set out to have more than one dog, but it just seems to be my lot in life to have several and at this time, numbering four.

My favorite is Rosie, a dachshund-poodle. She has been my companion for 10 years and she has a heart condition so I don’t know how much longer she will be with me.

The second one is Ebony. She is a Labrador mix that my husband got from the Grant County Animal Shelter when she was a puppy.

The third one is Baxter. I found him, as a puppy, alongside the road in freezing weather. I could not leave him there to die so I brought him home.

This leaves the “new” dog. She is the dog that my daughter’s neighbors gave marijuana and almost killed. Since she can’t go back home, she has moved into my house and has become quite comfortable there.

Her name is Sassy and she is half terrier and half poodle, and she barks at everything that moves, even air. It is driving my husband crazy because she sits on the back of the couch and watches for things to bark at.

Once she sees a “potential threat,” she sounds the alarm and all three other dogs (who could have been sound asleep) come to her call.

She can’t understand why we don’t know that the garage man and the paper guy are there to do us harm, and she takes her job of protecting us from these threats seriously.

My husband asked me, “Why? Why won’t she quit barking?”

The answer is simple. It is because she loves us. No matter how stupid we are about the dangers in the world, she is going to keep on warning us about them.

It reminds me of our Heavenly Father who continues to love us and call us to repentance our whole life. He never stops and He never will.

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

We might not be aware of the pitfalls of the world, but God sees them and, through the Holy Spirit, keeps warning us. He loves us too much not to. I hope you are listening.