Nicko: the gentleman

The story of Nicko
This isn't one of my best photographs BUT this is Nicko, a dog with one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen. You say, that's normal, he's a dog -- it's their nature. Yes, maybe so. I have grown up with dogs since I was 4, we've had all kinds: the scared ones, the dominant ones, the cuddly ones, the strong ones. Nicko though, is not my family's dog. I know what I am saying when I say he has a pure heart of gold.

Nicko is the dog I remember from when I was young and still scared of dogs. He has outlived at least five of our dogs. This photo was taken last summer in my dad's backyard. He belongs to a former neighbour, to my dad and his girlfriend, with a big family of 4 sons. Nicko is loved to the end of the world and back but he's not a priority.

His fur is full of things you rather stay unaware of what it is (it wouldn't surprise me to find a tree grow from him or a lollipop stuck somewhere), his fur is full of knots and too long for summer, he can wait all day for a walk and he have had more kids riding him and hanging from his ears than some dog's ever see in a lifetime. He's gentle and never do a mean thing against a child or person. His only flaw is that he barks - a lot.

Nicko took my heart this very day I took this photo of him basking in the shadows while our dog Nella taunted him, she could walk free, he couldn't since we had him on a string.

When we were going in and we had just released him he got a panic in his eyes. Thankfully he didn't run off, he hurried inside the trunk of our volvo combi. My dad said "Poor thing, I guess he thought we were leaving him, I don't think his family takes him anywhere". I knew it was true since he was in our backyard that day because his family had taken a family trip somewhere, they had said "Just give him food and walk him in the evening" but my dad didn't want to leave him alone. They were going to be away for one day and come back in the morning, they didn't, they stayed another day and assumed we would take care of him. That is Nicko, the dog with heart full gold, the fur full of knots and a life of being left behind. He is around 15 years old.

Make sure your pet knows you love it by taking care of it.

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Copyright: Caja (petrova)
All rights reserved, the picture may not be used or altered in ANY way without Caja's written permission.