Gabby
Gabby, I loved you best.
This cold early morning we finally part my friend
And you’ll run on around the bend
Gone from sight but not from mind
New pleasures then you will find
I’ll go on; I’ll find the strength
Life measures quality, not in length
One last embrace before you leave
One last look before I grieve
There is Signe, that is true
But she is she and that’s not you
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought
Will remember all you taught
Your place I will hold, you will be missed
Your fur I stroked, your nose I kissed
And as you journey to your final resting place
Take this with you…
I loved you best
Perhaps Gabby had always been a bit of a “wild child,” or maybe her stint of homelessness led her to fight for every morsel of food that came her way. Whatever the motive, Gabby would sometimes launch preemptive strikes on other dogs for no apparent reason. When the perfect home came along – a retired gentleman who lived alone on a nice acreage with no other pets – it seemed like a match made in heaven.
Gabby settled in nicely, enjoying daily long walks, attention from her beloved master, and a large yard in which to play. However, she didn’t appreciate Dad’s paying attention to other dogs. As a further insult, one little black dog bit her on the nose without provocation – an understandable turn-off! Sometimes Gabby would stake her claim to territory even if it was while they were out on walks or while visiting another’s home. She would assert alpha dog status and let it be known that she’d better not face any challenge to that ranking! After she lunged at a standard Poodle twice her size on his home turf, Gabby’s Dad realized that she was capable of doing great harm if this behavior went unchecked. He needed help, and he needed it fast!
Fortunately, Gabby lived in Big Bend Wis., close to Frank Allison’s training facility. In their initial one-hour session, Frank used a humane pinch collar, and employing consistency and frequent rewards, he kept reminding her who was boss. “Keep it positive” was his mantra. Frank then took Gabby outside where there were lots of other dogs. Amazingly, after that brief one-on-one session, she was suddenly as interested in the other dogs as they were in her.
Gabby and her master were invited to attend several other training sessions. Her Dad was anxious that Gabby might attack the other dogs, and she quickly sensed his nervousness. Recognizing this, Frank took Gabby in tow to demonstrate his techniques to the group, using this former “wild child” to teach the entire class lessons in canine control. Soon Gabby was shouldering other dogs, ducking through Hula Hoops, jumping up on tables, passing alongside loud vacuum cleaners, and much, much more!
In short, Gabby needed to learn how to socialize with other dogs, and now she can’t wait to visit her canine friends on their walks – well, except for the little black dog who bit her snout! And Gabby now loves Aunt Linda’s standard Poodles and looks forward to house-sitting for them with her Dad! Whether she wonders, as comedian Rita Rudner has speculated, if poodles might be members of some weird religious cult, Gabby isn’t saying, proving once again that she has truly become a lady! No more pinch collar needed for this lovely girl!
Pickleman
We said goodbye today to Pickleman (aka Pickles) after a wonderful, albeit short 17 months together. Sister Kookie (aka Cookie) was with him as he left us. We had a whole year longer than we were told to expect when we adopted him in July 2018.
Note: Pickles came to MWCR after the death of his owner and was at least 13 years old at that time, so that made him at over 14!
Diamond
A very sad and hard day for us today. Diamond had a great day yesterday playing with Maggie and following me around the dog yard while I picked up the yard. He was happy. But sometime last night he twisted his stomach and we took him into the Vet thinking he had something lodged in his throat. Not the case. We chose to try surgery to hopefully save him, but the stomach was too damaged. He also had an aggressive cancer, so with that in mind we had to let him go. We are lost, numb, and empty right now. It was so unexpected. He was 11 &1/2. He gave us 9 years of unselfish love. He lives on forever in our hearts! Run free, Diamond, with Toby, Buddy, River and Raine! You will be missed!
Murray
Today my husband David and I needed to help our MWCR rescue, Murray, over the Rainbow Bridge. We adopted him on May 22, 2018 at age 5 and his name was Twister. His name did not fit him at all as he was as mellow as dogs come, mellower than that actually. We changed his name to Murray. We couldn’t have found a better dog. He was so sweet, unique and special. He was absolutely adorable, almost never barked, loved everyone: kids, dogs, cats, loved walks where he could sniff everything, especially leaf piles. He always wanted to say hi to everyone on our walks. He loved chasing squirrels in the yard and walking around with a stuffed toy in his mouth, snuggling on the couch, even being vacuumed. He was a lover. His symptoms started several months ago and the diagnosis was never definitive; either pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis. We had excellent vet care and provided palliative care., enjoyed each good day. He was so tough and brave and then he became very tired. We knew today was the day, it was so hard to do but we know it was right for Murray. We are comforted in knowing that he is not suffering and hopefully sniffing everything in his new surroundings. We are so thankful to MWCR for matching us with Murray, he gave us so much joy in his short time with us.
