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So far back in my childhood,
I've always found the presence of dogs.
It's a superb German Shepherd dog
Who accompanied my lonely childhood,
So imposing, but with such gentle eyes,
Her name was Rita, and she was a gentle wolf;
At the end of a chain, she spent her life
And a big barrel was her bed;
To come home to the fire, she was only allowed
Only on cold winter nights.
I didn't know how to love her yet
And didn't give her what she deserved...
Too late, I understood her faithful attachment,
And never again did I hide my feelings;
From the rear, totally paralyzed
In a stable, alone, my father relegated her,
And I became aware of this cruel abandonment
For of love she taught me a great lesson.
When I went to talk to her and stroke her
I'd find her on her two front legs, erect,
struggling to drag herself towards me,
Her belly pressed to the ground, exhausted though she was;
She let out little moans of joy
Suddenly forgetting pain and suffering for me...
She's gone... I cried... how could I forget?...
I remember her kind eyes...
It was in my life as a woman that I found Mishka;
Uninvited, he followed in my footsteps
He immediately set about winning me over
And it was a game to him to succeed...
Mishka is a cross between a Briard and a Griffon.
A wonderful gift from heaven, and so cute,
White fur, thick and soft,
Black spots on the loins, red goatee,
A plumed tail always dancing,
The mask and two long black hanging ears...
A treasure of a companion, faithful and loyal
Who, when my spirits were low
Could be so tender and cuddly for me,
A discreet confidant behind his mischievous gaze;
At children's games, he was full of mischief
Sharing fights and complicit fun;
He accompanied us on all our outings
An integral part of the household,
He hated it when we were all dispersed
Struggled like a madman to bring us together...
He was noticed everywhere for his wisdom
And always elicited compliments and caresses.
He was handsome, he knew it, this dear ham,
And paraded with his head held high;
I had an immense, infinite love for him,
But the passing of time, the years, robbed me of it...
With sorrow in my heart, I decided his fate
I accompanied him, weeping, to his death...
Confident, he fell asleep in my hands
And set off on another long journey...
I've kept that distressing day in my memory
I've held on to that pain and sadness ever since...
I couldn't imagine living without a dog
So I had to find one that would be mine;
I went to lose my steps in a shelter
And from despair, I found a flood...
It was a terrified Kalin
That we brought home,
A handsome Bruno du Jura, with short black hair
With pea-shaped eyebrows;
At our approach, he bent his spine, trembling,
Resigned, ready to bear anything, as before...
Then, slowly, with infinite patience,
Tenderness and love, gentleness and perseverance,
We gave him back the taste and pleasure of life,
Playing, running, he regained the desire
Silenced for long months,
One evening, suddenly, we heard his voice:
In a low yap, he called us,
And in our happy hearts, it resounded...
He was clumsy and awkward, but so loving,
With a single look, he gave all of himself...
He climbed with both front legs on our knees
His head hidden under our arm, so close to us,
Peaceful and reassured, in Daddy's shadow,
Strong and brave again, to follow in his footsteps.
And then, as with humans, his years of stress
Caused cracks and insidious weaknesses;
He contracted a serious illness;
In a few days, and a long hour of agony
Flooded with my tears, he was gone;
One last time, I held him in my arms...
He's gone to heaven, next to Mishka...
I miss all three of them, Rita, Mishka, Kalin...
And I keep their absence, so much sorrow...
It was a tiny Border Collie puppy
who brought the house back to life.
We wanted a male rather than a female
But the boy turned out to be a girl!
Anyway, she'd already crossed our threshold
It must have been fate that chose her for us...
This black and white ball was named Nouchka
And offered us her tenderness and her many worries...
For two years, she revolutionized our lives
And used her ingenious imagination
To accumulate nonsense every day,
Big and small, no matter what anyone says!
Armchairs were ripped open, plants scalped,
Books nibbled, towels chewed,
furniture gnawed... it was the surprise of the evening!
She even attacked the corridor partition...
Today, we find her much mollified
From all her mischief, she is now free;
She's cuddly, gentle and very affectionate,
A little delicate and even a little precious
Like an automaton, she tilts her head to one side
And right and left, the better to listen to us;
Like her master, she loves to go fishing
And doesn't hesitate to jump on the fish,
Or titillate crayfish with her paw...
Always ready to play, but also a bit of a pussy
When she comes to curl up on our laps in the evening
Happy and serene to be snuggled up against us.
She shares everything with the newcomer
Even if she's a little jealous of the newcomer;
It's Micha, the redhead, a beautiful Briard bitch,
Imposing, impressive at first sight,
But endearing and generous with affection.
She follows me step by step around the house,
Lies at my feet, protects my sleep,
Like a good guardian angel, in all the same places.
Sensitive heart beneath her clumsy, wacky exterior
She's easy on the eyes under her coarse hair;
Without worrying about her weight or her tall stature,
She climbs onto our knees and settles down,
Her head resting tenderly on our shoulder,
By thirty kilos of pure love compressing us!...
Every morning, she greets me with a concert,
In the most diverse tones and chords,
Of grunts, interspersed with pretty tremolos...
All her proofs of attachment are gifts;
After each absence, it's an endless feast,
She nips us on the neck, cuddles us...
She's tender and extremely sensitive
She can only blossom when she feels loved;
At the slightest laxity in our affection,
She gnaws her fur and loses herself in depression.
Without malice or aggression,
She's a model dog we'd like to keep forever...
I've given my heart to every one of these animals,
Not one of them has disappointed me... I've only cried
Until I lost them and fled
What they had placed in my hands: their lives
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English (United Kingdom) 
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