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| Meet Samson |
When pet parent Anita and her family brought Samson, a Maltese puppy, home for the first time, it came at a very difficult point in their lives.
"I had been thinking about getting another pet for two or three years," Anita says. "I had a couple of friends who had gotten puppies during that time and it struck me how much joy they had given them. During that time my Mom, Dad, and sister were all going through bad health issues and my days were tied up with them so I knew there was no way I could take care of a puppy as long as things were hectic and consuming with my parents and sister. As time went on my dad passed away and the following year we lost my sister. My mom died a year later. After being overwhelmed for three years with my family, their hospital stays, home care and funeral arrangements, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands but not having the desire to do anything."
Samson Helps To Lift A Heavy Heart
It was after Christmas of last year that Anita and her husband decided it was time to look into a finding a puppy.
"I really needed cheering up and something or someone to take my mind off my sadness," Anita shares. "My nephew had a Maltese and so did a couple of friends. We liked the fact that Maltese dogs are hypoallergenic and do not shed. Our son has allergy issues so this was a must. We were able to find a family who had a litter of Maltese puppies nearby. When we went over to look them over, it was just mayhem. There were little fluffy balls of white fur everywhere. I picked out the "shy, kind-of-to-himself" one. They were not ready to take home yet so his belly was marked so we could tell which one I had picked."
"He makes me smile and
laugh every day and
I really needed that lift."
Anita's story then takes an interesting twist. "When I went back three weeks later, the mark was no longer there and I had no idea which pup was the one I had picked. I made my pick again, and whether he was the original one or not, we'll never know but I'm surely glad I picked the one that I did. He makes me smile and laugh every day and I really needed that lift. It's hard to be in a lousy mood with Samson around."
Samson's Day: Start With Some Stretching And Some Fetching
According to Anita, Samson's morning will start the same way every day. "Well, Samson likes to wake up leisurely. I swear he's part cat. He stretches and stretches some more. When he finally gets going he pretty much follows me around from room to room while I'm doing laundry or making beds. When I'm picking up, it's a prime time for him to get access to a closet or two. We try to keep those doors shut since he's a shoe fiend. He loves to play fetch and he will bring his toy that we always throw to play. He has a basket of toys and he will pull everything out until he finds what he wants to play with. When he goes outside, he takes off."
"He has a basket of toys and
he will pull everything out until
he finds what he wants to play with."
Samson loves to go on a daily walk too. "When you ask him, he gets very excited and starts heading to where his leash is kept", Anita relates. "He likes to bark at all the dogs he passes by and as soon as they get back he makes a beeline for his water. All that barking and exercise makes him thirsty!"
Anita's backyard is right next to a golf course. "There are rabbits to chase, and birds and squirrels to scare off", Anita says. "After all that playing it's about time for a nap."
Samson, The Curious Maltese
Samson is a curious fellow. One story proves this point perfectly. "We have a trash bin inside our cabinet on rollers," Anita begins. "My husband had pulled it out to take out the trash. When he came back inside, he put a new trash bag in the trashcan and started to push it back in when he heard a noise. He looked around behind him but didn't see Samson. He once again pushed the trash in and heard another sound . . . a little louder this time.
"No telling how long we would
have looked for him had my husband
not gone to put a new bag in."
Surely Samson hadn't gotten behind there since there was barely any room to squeeze in? Well that's exactly what he did. He had gotten back behind there somehow. No telling how long we would have looked for him had my husband not gone to put a new bag in."
Can't Find Samson, Check The Closet
Hiding behind a trash can bin wasn't the only time Samson proved elusive.
"When Samson was little we would keep the bedroom doors closed most of the time so we could keep better track of him", Anita remembers. "One day when I was cleaning, Samson was following me from room to room. I was concentrating on sorting laundry and before I knew it he was out of sight. I went into each bedroom and looked into all the closets and still could not find him. I was starting to get a little panicked but continued to look under beds and furniture.
"He just blended in since it was
mostly white clothes. He had already
figured out how to hide from me!""
Finally, I went to the closets again and I don't know how I had missed him but he was in my daughter's room in her closet on a pile of clothes. He just blended in since it was mostly white clothes. He had already figured out how to hide from me!"
Samson And BLUE
For Anita, feeding BLUE to Samson was an easy decision. "I had a friend recommend Blue Buffalo to me. She also has a Maltese. While she was at the pet store, a little old lady told her about BLUE and how easy it was for her 16-year old dog to digest and how he had more energy after changing his diet. I decided that I wanted Samson to get off to the right start with the best food we could give him. Everyone comments on how soft his coat is. Malteses tend to have stains in their eyes from tears and I had read that it sometimes has to do with their diet. Samson has never had that problem and I think BLUE has everything to do with that."
Samson Is Definitely His Own Man
When Samson wants something, he has no problem letting Anita know it. "He barks when his bowl is empty of water or food and, I hate to say it, but I fill them up pretty quickly. He will bring us his toy and sit there right in front of us until we stop what we are doing and play fetch. He is hard for me to say "no" to.
Anita then mentions what endears her most to Samson. "What I love about Samson's personality is his loyalty and how much he loves you but still has a very ornery streak in him. One minute he is so loveable and the next minute he is being so stubborn and ornery. He definitely has his own unique personality. He is his own man."
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