Introducing my Dog Son…

– Obediently Waiting for ‘Jump’ Command –

Wyld Wings Nitro Express.

My oldest dog son was named after a bullet… the day he was born at Wyld Wings Kennel.

The Nitro Express cartridges are used in rifles to hunt big-game (such as an elephant).

The use of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine gives us the Nitro part of the name, and the Express stems from the high velocity of the bullet- just like an express train.

The Nitro Express is a really big deal.

That’s my dog, alright.

 

In 2000, our family drove over an hour to a well-known and respected Labrador Retriever kennel. Wyld Wings was known for their pure bloodlines of thoroughbred hunting dogs.

Unfortunately, Nitro’s elite lineage was a tad wasted. We coddled him into a family pet. He sleeps on a memory foam tempurpedic mattress and is lovingly tucked in each night with a terrycloth robe as a blanket.

Nitro has been indulged with birthday parties complete with gifts.  And he gets an ice cream treat after each doctor visit. For Christmas, he received his very own blue fleece coat for winter walks.

But make no mistake, despite his pampered life, our yellow lab remains a most regal and sophisticated canine. On hunting trips with his human dad – his instinctual, retrieval skills surface. Without exception, the entire hunting party is impressed by Nitro’s discipline and accuracy.

His pedigree is much more impressive than the lineage of the humans who adopted him. Distinguished and registered ancestry fill his familial heritage. His father was featured on national television during the ESPN dog trials. And his mother was a champion in Texas as well.

Nitro is, undoubtedly, handsome and during his younger days, extremely athletic. He is loyal and obedient. And Nitro possesses an extensive command vocabulary. Our beloved Nitro is a model dog son.

Ni-dog, my nickname for him, is the first dog that I truly fell in love with…since I have always been a bona fide cat-person. He loves to be petted, but not hugged. In fact, when I hug him too much for too long, I can hear his audible ‘sigh’.

My husband is, undeniably, his master. It was clear from the beginning who captured his loyalty and would forever be his favorite human on earth.

And as much as it pains me to admit this in writing, I am not Nitro’s second favorite person either. My younger son is.

Our Ni-dog was born almost 15 years ago. With the average life span of labs being 10-12 years, we realize exactly how fortunate we have been. I only hope when I’m 102 years old (Nitro’s human age), I will be able to go on mile-long walks with my family, still get overly happy at the smell of peanut butter or cheese, and find uncontrollable joy at the first sight of a tennis ball.