Paw Prints in the Snow
Where would my dogs really like to go
Are they happy?
Are they sad?
Is the fence meant to keep them safe
A prison from which they can’t escape

Paw Prints in the Snow
Do they long for spring
For green grass and long walks
The things that make a dog’s soul sing

 

Or are they happy to just be here
Curled by the warm fire

Protected from the cold
Dreaming of their hearts desire
Chasing rabbits, maybe squirrels
Running free in that other world

Are they happy when they play inside their fence
Safe.
Making paw prints in the snow

Discovering Labradoodles

Just a footnote to my story about Jenni & Sonagh.

Jenni’s older sister Elli brought Sonagh back home at about 8:00 PM last Saturday night.

Sonagh had dinner with the family and stayed by Jenni’s side until she left to go out with friends. It seems that after an afternoon of Canine Therapy, Jenni was feeling well enough to actually go out with friends that evening! Yeah Sonagh!

Once Jenni left, I would have expected Sonagh to just hang out with the rest of the family as she has known them her whole life and enjoys them. However, Elli told me that shortly after Jenni left (and Sonagh had made sure there were no crumbs under the dining table) Sonagh went over and lay down by the front door. Apparently her job was done and she was ready to go home.

I am so proud of my girl and so grateful that she could be such a comfort to my dear young friend.

Discovering Labradoodles

Over the years I have been witness to and experienced the overwhelming grief that a death can bring to those left behind. I have also seen and experienced how the comfort of a dog can help the long, slow healing process.

Jenni has been our neighbor for the past 12 years and we have watched her grow from a little girl into a lovely young woman. She has taken care of all of our critters off and on over the years, most recently this past August while we were away for ten days. We were delighted when, last year, she introduced us to her fiancé, Richard. Richard was a kind, steady, delightful young man and the perfect counterbalance to Jenni’s vivacious personality. They were to be married this April.

In early December, Richard was tragically killed in an automobile accident. Not knowing what else to offer in the way of comfort, I told Jenni she could take one of the older dogs if she needed comforting, but didn’t want to be around people. After all the funeral arrangements had been made and she could finally be at home, she came and took Sadie for the night. The next day she told me it helped immeasurably. Sadie is 90 pounds of comfort and compassion, her lab/golden mix giving her an intuitiveness that can sometimes be spooky. It was a good choice.

Fast forward to today. Early this afternoon I got a call from Jenni asking if she could borrow one of the girls. I knew instantly she was having one of those terrible days that take you by surprise. Grief is a funny thing. Once you are past the first wave, you begin the arduous task of creating a new normal for your life. And you can be going along, sad but otherwise okay, and get blindsided with a wave of gut wrenching grief that seems to come out of nowhere. This is what has hit dear Jenni today.

When Jenni came over, I assumed Sadie would be her comforter. What happened next shocked me and is a bit hard to explain, but I will try.

Because my dogs have all known Jenni their entire lives, they all adore her, hence the chaos when she came through the door. Now, my older two, Sadie and Sonagh, do not jump on people. Ever. (Wally, the puppy…well, we are till working on the jumping thing.) I couldn’t believe it when Sonagh jumped up on Jenni and niffled her ear! (She is almost as tall as Jenni!) For the next ten minutes while Jenni and I talked, Sonagh was completely focused on her. Like a laser beam! This is very uncharacteristic of Sonagh. She usually greets guests, gets her pats, then wanders off. I told Jenni that I had thought Sadie would be the dog to go with her, however, it looked like Sonagh had chosen herself as Jenni’s comforter today. Sonagh didn’t even move when I opened the closet to get out some dog food for Jenni to take! LOL! Most days all you have to do is walk past that closet and Sonagh is there, hoping it might be dinner time. Even as I got her leash and collar ready, she stayed calm and focused on Jenni. Leashes and collars create anticipation and hence excitement in our house and, as expected, Wally and Sadie started prancing about…but Sonagh, again completely out of character, just stayed by Jenni’s side, calm as could be.

As I watched them leave, Sonagh ambled alongside of Jenni, none of her usually ‘leading the parade’ behavior. Again, completely focused on Jenni.

I spoke to Jenni’s mother, Marilyn, a little while ago to make sure Sonagh was settling in okay. Marilyn said Sonagh had come downstairs to greet her when she came home, but when she turned around after hanging up her coat, Sonagh was already back upstairs in Jenni’s bedroom. As we spoke, Sonagh was laying outside the bathroom door waiting for Jenni to get out of the shower.

It is odd not having Sonagh here and I look forward to her returning later tonight or tomorrow morning. But I know my lovely chocolate girl is giving Jenni the comfort she needs during this intensely sad time.

Jenni just called to tell me that Sonagh is snuggled up with her on the bed. She was calling to say thank you. She is already sounding better.

Dogs are such a blessing. They can heal the soul in ways no human can.

Discovering Labradoodles

Sonagh, our middle dog, is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever/Golden(?) mix whose temperament and size is very much that of a Chessie. She is an imposing dog with spooky gold eyes, who makes me feel safe.

Sonagh is about as un-doodley as a dog can get. She is my guard-dog girl and rarely given to snuggling or affection but has a sweetness about her that is hard to describe. She is, without a doubt, the most difficult dog I have ever trained. Yet, she has turned out to be such a good girl (even if she barks more than I care for and eats poop) and I wouldn’t trade her for the world! I adopted Sonagh shortly after my beloved Kayleigh died and right before I developed a serious, long term illness. She is very much my dog and has seen me through many dark days when I was very ill and questioned the wisdom of bringing her (or any puppy for that matter) into our home, as I didn’t have the energy to give her. In retrospect, it was the smartest thing I could have done as I am a better person because of her.

So, here are some photos of my beautiful baby girl!

Six weeks at Dena’s house.

At home with her new sister Sadie.

Doodle posing with her momma, Coco.

Helping Daddy with his sit-ups.

Hanging on the deck.

Graduating from puppy training class.

Sharing the easy chair.

The queen.

Loving my new little brother Wally.

Happy life!

Thanks for looking!

Discovering Labradoodles

Well, Sunday morning at about 4:00 AM I was reminded of the importance of keeping a puppy on a schedule. Wally’s Saturday schedule was way off due to his morning training class and our evening activities. Apparently he did not get out at the times he needed and, for the very first time, had an accident in his kennel. Needless to say, cleaning a poop filled kennel at four in the morning has made me much more diligent about his schedule!

Discovering Labradoodles

You know how they say things come to you when you need them? Well, I have had Dr. Patricia McConnell’s book ‘The Other End of the Leash’ in my stack of books for…well, an embarrassingly long period of time. Once I picked it up though, I have been fascinated! And I had an ‘Ah-ha!/D’oh!’ moment as I read Chapter Two. I have had dogs for decades now and have trained several dogs over the years. Sonagh, my six year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix, has, without a doubt, been the most difficult dog I have ever attempted to train. However, six years into the mission, we are doing fine…with one exception. She still doesn’t come when she is called, which means that I haven’t figured out how to communicate this to her. Until I read Chapter Two! Now, Sonagh is coming every time; I have not had to stand at the door and yell at her repeatedly to ‘Come!’. (Sound familiar?)

So, what is this piece of magic? Well, you are probably going to have the same ‘Ah-ha!/D’oh!’ reaction I did when you hear how simple this is. The crux of what Dr. McConnell says is this: canines are visual creatures. If you are standing facing them while you are calling them, you are actually sending a mixed message. Your verbal command is telling them to ‘Come’ but your physicality, the direction of your paws and face, is telling them that you are going the to be moving forward…so why then, if you look like you are going to be moving toward them, would they then come to you? For all the world, it looks like you are going to come out into the yard and join the rabbit hunt!

So what magnificent pearl of wisdom did Dr. McConnell impart that has had such an amazing impact on the quality of my relationship with my sweet Sonagh? Point your face and your paws in the direction you want the dog to be going! I told you it was simple! So now when I want Sonagh to come in, I go to the door, call her name to get her attention, tell her to ‘Come!’ and turn around to face the family room! Sometimes I will add a few slaps on my thigh to encourage her to speed up, but she is moving…every time!!! This is amazing to me, as I have struggled for years to get Sonagh to ‘Come’ on command. Sigh! Who knew it was a simple as turning around?

I hope this helps you and your dog!

Cheers!

Edie

Discovering Labradoodles

For The Love of Dogs