Do you have a dog of a lifetime? Paddy is mine and my children’s. When my kids were 8, 12 and 14 they convinced me to look for a family dog. It’s not that I didn’t want one, but my eldest is asthmatic and allergic. Up until then, the best we had were fish and they have a nasty habit of dying and have limited range so say the least.
When my Sister adopted a Staffordshire and Lab mix puppy named Missy, my son didn’t seem to react. Although my previous husband did not agree, I managed to convince him to allow a dog if I paid for all the expenses and he would not be responsible for anything.
My son scoured the local ads to find a dog. First he came up with a Rottweiler/Doberman mix which I would not consider. Then he saw an ad for a 5 month old Labrador mix a family in Hudson had to give up. As you can see from her picture, she was a beautiful dog. We went on a Friday night to see. When we met her she was a bundle of energy, she jumped up on us repeatedly and ran around constantly. I wonder now why we took her because she acted so crazy. But we did. On the way home she put her muzzle in my open briefcase and threw up.
That was the beginning of our love story. In Hudson she had free rein, in Pointe Claire she had to be tied up when she was out alone, she got spayed, had to go to school and was crated during the day. It was quite a shock. Welcome to the suburbs! The best part is she had three boys who adored her. My son was her alpha (and trainer). She won first prize at doggie school and second prize in the advanced course. But she still jumped on people. She biked with my son and I purchased a dog harness and she would pull my youngest down the street on snowy days.
When I got divorced, Paddy and I slept back to back for 10 years. I would say “cuddle up” and she would. If I would cry, she would sit in front of me and put her paw in my lap and whine until I stopped.
When the boys would rough house, she would get upset because she didn’t know which one to support. If anyone lay on the floor, she would sit on their chest and give them a face wash. She was incredibly gentle and fun loving. If we hugged, she insisted on a threesome. She was not perfectly behaved but she was perfect for us.
As she got on in years, her arthritis started to affect her but for every ailment she would get, we would find a way to manage it. At 13 ½ she had an operation for cancer that was successful. The night before her operation, I held her in my arms all night just in case it would be for the last time. I remember leaving her in the morning at the vets, crying my eyes out and having to go to work like that. Then I had to wait to hear from the vet. I remember vividly I had a meeting where I had to be the “tough customer” but minutes before I received the call that she was okay. I went into the meeting in such a state of euphoria I couldn’t possibly play the tough guy. It turned out to be a great meeting anyway.
I was hoping that she would live long enough to be the “flower dog” at my wedding and she did. Here is the picture the flowers on her collar. She had a wonderful time, howling through the ceremony and all the guests making a fuss over her.
One night she had a seizure, she couldn’t walk and her eyes were crossed and she couldn’t focus. Once more, I spent the night cuddling her, sure that I would have to put her to sleep the next morning. I must have dozed off because when I awoke in the morning, she was just fine and it never re-occurred to my delight.
The week she died, my best friend Freyja died on the Monday and my new husband was in Seattle. My Mother-in-law came down from Ottawa to keep me company. On the Wednesday night my son offered to take Paddy to give me a break because I had had to take her in again to the vet the night before. I didn’t know if I would have to put her to sleep because she was having difficulty getting up but the vet said she was okay and changed her medication. He promised to tell me when the time had come. Elderly pets are very stressful!
I drove her to my son’s and before I got back in car, I saw her standing on the sidewalk staring back at me. I went back for one more cuddle. I wish I had gone back for more. It was the last time I saw her.
Next day, I went to work and at 1:00 I received a call from my son, Paddy Dog had died in her sleep. My son had to carry her to the vet in his arms. What a devastating week. I lost my two best friends in four days. I am grateful I did not have euthanize her. My son asked if I would consider Pet Friends, a service that cremates pets. We did this and it was wonderful, they are so compassionate. My son still has the urn, her collar and her leash.
I now have two wonderful yellow labs Serena and Zoe, and I could not love them more than I do.
But forever Paddy Dog will be my dog of a lifetime.
For my readers who are pet lovers, you understand. For those who aren’t, you think we’re nuts and that’s ok too.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Related posts:
- My Husband is Having an Affair
- Over tired, over committed – stick a fork in me I’m done
- Gratitude
- Your Mother is Always with You.
- It’s Official – I’m Not Superwoman
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I still think about Paddy all the time. She was the best and we were really lucky to have her in our lives. I’m sure I’ll have another dog at some point but no dog could ever replace Paddy.
That must have been really difficult to write about, but I’m so glad that you did because family pets become so much more than just a “pet”. I had a dog, Sasha, from when I was about 4 years old until I was sixteen. She was truly a part of our family and losing her left an empty space in our family for a while. It probably sounds a little creepy, but I still dream of my dog every now and then. Paddy actually always reminded me of Sasha. I loved being around her. I think Paddy’s lucky day was the day you guys took her home. She couldn’t have had a more devoted family.
Same here…I always get really emotional when it comes to pets. They really do become part of the family. When my dog Rocky passed away after 14 years, I was heartbroken for a very long time (still miss him a lot!) When I moved to Montreal, he stayed with my parents in NewB and everytime I would go for a visit he would go nuts because he was so happy to see me! He would always follow me everywhere. It took my mom 2 weeks after his death to call me to announce the bad news…
In a weird way, I feel that he is still there, running around the house, chasing passing cars…being a little rascal!
Yeah, Rocky was definitely my dog of a lifetime.
I remember the last dog i had more of a friend than a pet, i understand fully how you feel when i pet dies.
Your dog is there whenever you need it and dosent judge you for what you do or how you look, it loves you for you.
I had tears come to my eyes as i was reading it
Thank you for writing Trisha. Yes it’s amazing how much love we can feel for our pets. What I have learned is that although we love and eventually we lose because they don’t live as long as us and that a new pet does not replace the one we lost in our memory however, we can love a new pet.
The day something happens to our beloved Pudgy Princess, I don’t want to think about it. Our pets are well loved here too.
Such a great dog you had there! I most certainly do understand your pain. We get very attached to our pets and it’s extremely difficult to see them going downhill. I lost our first cat the end of 2007 and wrote a similar tribute to him at http://karen.pnn.com/5123-our-miracle-cat-moe. I’m so glad we took a lot of pictures of him! We’ll always miss him.
I’m following you on twitter now. So glad I discovered your blog.
Thank you Karen. I read your tribute to Moe. A lot of similarities there. So great of you to take on an older cat with health issues.
He’s was a very handsome cat. We had a very similar experience with my husband’s cat Java. He lasted 15 1/2 years also and had thyroid and renal failure. My husband actually gave him saline under the skin by needle in order to keep him with us. One day I came downstairs and he couldn’t get up. It was time. Everything had been done that could be done. By the time we got the the vet, when they gave him the needle he was done within seconds. He was Marc’s first pet. He was a great cat!
Thanks for writing, looking forward to hearing from you often.
Those very special dogs are hard to find. I enjoyed reading this. You might want to read about mine at http://myqualityday.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-memory-of-hoover-houdini-chips.html
“Chips” was an absolutely beautiful dog. What a sweet face. I read your blog. Very nice site. It must have been extremely difficult to lose him at six.. My Zoe is going to be six this year and I’m counting on another six minimum. I do prefer having two dogs at a time. They are company for each other. I personally don’t trust people who don’t like animals. Personal prejudice. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers
Hi Kay!
I love your entry for Paddy…I understand how hard it is. Our Family animals are truly gifts, and I know that Paddy was a lucky dog to have your family, and vice-versa. I am glad to have known her, too, as little as I did.
I am glad, too, that you decided to name your new pup “Serena!”
Good choice!
I look forward to reading more about the KAY WAY, now that I am an official subscriber!
Tata!
Sarena
Thank you Sarena for dropping by. I forgot you had met Paddy dog.
I’m afraid I can’t take credit for her name. I’ve had dogs all my life, and never named one so far. They all came pre-named. I really appreciate your support for my blog and for subscribing. All the best. Kay