No matter how you say it they have been a part of my life since my husband and I got married almost 30 years ago. Our first dog was a Norwegian Elkhound we named Miscka. She was the only dog we "bought". She was the runt of the litter but soooo cute. We had her for 15 years. We got her when she was 16 weeks old. She was My dog. I loved her very much and we lost her to congestive heart failure.
When she was about 1 year old, we adopted a mutt dog who was about 2 years old. His name was Tripod because he only had 3 legs. Somewhere as a pup he lost his right front leg to a lawn mower. He was a Keyshound mixed with something :-) He could dig long skinny trenches like a demon. He loved my husband to no end. We lost him to old age. At 17 y/o he was deaf and blind and his left shoulder (which was over used) gave out on him and we had to let him go :-(
When Tripod was about 5 and Miscka was 4, we were given a cute bundle of white fluff of a pup that was part American Eskimo and Husky. We named him Kannick. He liked to lay on his back and hold up walls upside down :-). He was our son's dog. Our son loved to use him as a pillow when he was laying on the floor. Our daughter was born about a year after we had all 3 dogs and we attribute her walking early to needing to get off the floor
and away from the dogs.
One day when my husband was running early in the morning with Miska and Kannick around our neighborhood, he found another really cute bundle of white fluff who followed him home (much to Kannick's dislike). He was our first Great Pyrenees whom we named Newton. He grew and grew and grew and was the gentlest of dogs. He loved to eat his food laying down and taught Kannick to do it too :-) We lost him at 9 years of age from kidney failure due to medication to help with his cancer.
We lost Miscka first, then Tripod and then Newton. After Miscka & Tripod passed, we rescued another dog named Leyla ( 14 months old) for our 10 y/o daughter. She is a flat-coated retriever/border collie mix. Our daughter took her to puppy training and together they learned fun things, like crawling, rolling over and giving a high-five. She is now 11 y/o and still getting around. She hates being outside and cardboard boxes. Oh and men with hats and boots. She loves laying on stairs and behind wood stoves.
So, we had 3 dogs, got 1 more, lost 2 dogs and got 2 more. We then decided to adopt and older Australian Sheepdog named Shyanne. She was already about 10 y/o but we wanted to get her a good life as long as we could.
We also adopted another Great Pyrenees male dog who was named Santa Paws which we renamed Santana. Santana loved to do circles in the Excursion when he saw bicycles. Back to 4 dogs :-) Now it was Kannick, Leyla, Shyanne and Santana.
When we moved from the West Coast to the Midwest, we had a noah's ark. Four dogs, 3 cats, 1 rabbit, 3 hermit crabs and 2 fish. We moved them all in an Excursion and a Sable. It was a sight to see when we had to check into a motel for the night :-)
We put up a 6 ft. high chainlink fence 500 sq. ft. backyard for the dogs when we moved to the country and they loved it. They could bark to their hearts content....at the deer, geese, squirrals, grass blowing....anything and everything :-)
We lost Shyanne first at our new home, she had a stroke and couldn't recover. Next we lost Kannick of old age, he was 16 y/o when he passed. We now had Leyla and Santana and my husband wanted a female Pyr, so we adopted Cloe. She was 11 months old and cute as a BIG bundle of white dog can be (Cloe on left).
I remember when we went to pick her up from the rescue. She met my hubby and it was love at first sight. Her and I sat in the car while he and the rescue person did the paperwork and she never took her eyes off of husband. Still like that to this day. Cloe loves to bark and walk the perimeter of the fenceline :-) That is her "job". Back to 3 dogs.....
In December of 2009 there were some really bad snow storms and we had about 2-3 feet of snow in our back yard. Santana was about 9 by then and loved to go out to "his" tree out by the far end of the yard. His hips were getting worse all the time and we tried to keep him on the patio that winter so he wouldn't get in the deep snow. One day, he was determined to get to his tree and off he went. I went to check on him and saw him about 1/2 way back and he couldn't move. Destroyed both his hips and we had to let him go :-( We then had Cloe and Leyla and were content (or so I thought)...
Two years later husband was ready for another Pyr! We adopted a male pyr that was 3 years old, Winston. He loves to bark and chase the school buses as they pass the yard :-) He also loves my husband (he has a way with dogs) and will sit next to him and put his paw on his knee to get him to pet him. Oh, he also "sings".
Back to 3 dogs......
I really am going somewhere with all this....I am waxing philosophically.....I guess..... Cloe is now 9 years old and it is our turn to make the hard decision for her. Back in '09 when Santana destroyed his hips in the deep snow, Cloe hurt hers too. She was young but hip damage in youth comes due in old age and now she is paying the price. Her left hip doesn't work at all and her right one is close behind. We have been trying to make this tuff decision for a month now and today I finally called and made the appointment that we dread to make. Today we take her in and help her to the rainbow bridge with many, many tears and caresses of love to a wonderful companion and protector.
There she will meet Miscka, Tripod, Newton, Shyanne, Kannick, & Santana. All will be young and energetic and be able to run and bark at everything they see together.
I'm sure we will get another dog and when Leyla (11) and Winston (5) get to their end, we again will have to make this heart wrenching, mind stressing decision. We will sadly but determinedly make it each as they come so we may have the unconditional love and joy of our beloved furry 4 legged family.
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