I wrote this blog back in 2010. Bailey was healthy and rambunctious and loved to walk with me, jump on me, and of course give me kisses. My little boy passed on March 24, 2013. He had a rough time of it toward the end but now he is running free and waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge.
In his memory - I have revisited this blog and remember all his kisses including his last one. He was blind and couldn't hear me sing to him or call his name but as I held him he raised his face to mine and I bent down to meet him and he gave me his last kiss. I treasure it as I remember , as I treasure all his kisses.
I’ve been thinking about the kisses my dog gives me and realized there are so many different reasons Bailey gives me kisses so I started to count the ways. Now these are unsolicited kisses - and kisses are very important to Bailey. How do I know this? Because when he's pissed at me he withholds kisses! But if I ask for a kiss I will get one. Bailey is good that way. That's why I appreciate the kind of kisses below.
There is the ’thank you' kiss he gives me while we are riding in the car. Going for rides is his favorite thing and he is always grateful. Of course I won’t let him kiss me when the car is moving so he waits until we stop, say a traffic light, and then he ravages my face with joyous kisses. Then he goes back to hanging his head out the window. He’s such a dog!
There is the ‘good morning’ kiss. This one is maybe more like – ‘thank god you are up’ kiss but I like to think of it more as a ‘good morning’. It’s a nice way to start the day. He bounds up to me and gives me lavish kisses while I rub is back and scratch his ears – then he zips away – does a couple of hairpin turns – comes back and we do it all over again.
There is the ‘I’m listening Mom’ kiss. This usually happens in the car after the ‘thank you’ kiss. I start talking out loud – to Bailey – about this and that. He always looks at me attentively and then at some point will give me a quick kiss to let me know he is listening. I can imagine he's thinking 'I don't have a clue what you are talking about Mom but I'm listening. Especially since you took me for a ride!' It’s very sweet of him.
The ‘welcome home’ kiss. This happens when I come in the door from being away for a while. He comes up to me – puts both paws on my legs and stretches his little body up and I of course bend down to meet him and he gives me my welcome home kiss. Several. Or more, depending on how long I’ve been gone or how long I can stay bent over!
The ‘thanks for not leaving me here’ kiss - this is a variation on the thank you kiss but it is much more frenzied. He uses it after he’s been boarded (even though I’m told he is quite the social butterfly with all the other boarders) or groomed to let me know he really would rather be home with me no matter how much he may have enjoyed the visit. Which brings me to the …
The ‘oh boy I’ve been groomed’ kiss. Another variation on the ‘thank you’ kiss but much more controlled. Bailey may not love the actual grooming part but he loves the afterglow! In between prancing around proudly and preening for photos (really!) he gives me kisses.
The ‘I want something’ kiss. This one can be misconstrued as the ‘I just love you’ kiss however it soon becomes clear to me that isn’t its intent. It’s the ‘I wanna cookie’ or ‘I wanna go outside’ or ‘I want hugs and rubs’ or ‘take me with you, please!’ kind of kiss. This kiss is given if I’ve missed other non verbal signs. It's a get my attention kind of kiss, very utilitarian.
The ‘tit for tat or fair exchange’ kiss – this kiss comes while I am giving him what I call hugs and rubs. This exercise involves me holding him near me with one hand and using my other to rub his back. This causes much good feelings for him because he snorts and moans and otherwise lets me know how good it feels. Then every so often he’ll turn his head back to me and give me a quick kiss – it’s not a thank you kiss – it’s a you give me mine and I’ll give you yours kind of thing. Honest.
The ‘love you’ kiss – which are my favorite. These kisses come while we are vegging out on the sofa together watching TV. He is always somewhere near me and sometimes he just comes to my face and gives me a kiss, then sits back where he was. It’s precious.
I love this little guy. All his many kisses are gifts and I treasure every one.
