Clancy, 2011

I was reading an article yesterday about a dog in Japan named Hachikō that was famous for his loyalty to his master for long after the master’s death.  When we lost Clancy in April of 2013, I became convinced that we will never own another dog with which I would be as close as I was with him.  Jen used to enjoy watching him watch me as I’d walk through the house, tracking my every movement.  He’d park himself outside the bathroom door while I was showering.  He’d sit on my foot on the front porch while I was sitting outside on Spring mornings and watch the yard for signs of trouble.

I was surprised to find an entire list of individual dogs known for extreme loyalty to their owners.  There are some interesting stories there.

We’ve since adopted two other Boston Terriers, a bonded pair.  Jackson and Olive are a bonded pair that we fostered briefly before deciding we wanted them to stay with us.  We don’t know their past, which bothers us, but they definitely aren’t as trusting as Clancy was.  Obviously, this is understandable given that I had Clancy since he was six weeks old and we were around each other all the time.

Still, the unconditional love and loyalty is impressive to know.