My old poodle died yesterday, very suddenly, and presumably from a heart attack.
He spent most of his afternoons contentedly dozing on the front veranda, watching his two beloved gals playing or dozing around him. Every now and again he would stagger clumsily to his feet for a drink of water, as his kidneys have been dicey for a few years, wander round for a moment then settle with a heavy sigh back on his cushion. Dinner time is about 4.30, and he would stand hopefully peering through the door for his big bowl to be put in front of him. Another drink and some more time on that cushion until bedtime out in the doggie runs at 7pm.
I've just bought a new laptop and spent yesterday afternoon transfering piles of files from the old pooter to the new. He was not in the front of my brain, so when he didn't appear at the door looking for his bowlfull, I didn't think much of it and went looking for him, until I spotted him down by the gate.
He was lying quietly on his side, legs stretched out like he was asleep, but he wasn't. He must have gone for a wander and felt bad and just laid down and died.
His two lady friends came out with me and looked and sniffed at him, looked sadly at me and walked away. It's so simple in the animal world.
Mr Bliss (thanks for the name girls, I like it!) was away at the fires again, and wouldn't be back until dark, so I sent a trunk radio message out for him to ring me and come home ASAP for a burial.
He did and chose a nice spot down in the forest under the gum trees and buried him there.
But what a nice old dog, and for us, so lucky to have lived so long, as his history tried to undo him many times. He had a heart murmur, 2 separate snake bites, bloat (stomach twist needing surgery), and a cruciate ligament snapped at the rear. He lived through all of those and reached the venerable age of 15.
He had a gentle lovable nature and was known to nip his very favourite visitors in his pleasure at seeing them, so everyone knew to guard against his passion by holding his head away.
He visited oldies in the old folks' homes and we got quite famous making it onto the front page of the local newspaper, and reached Australian Champion in his show career before he came to me.
We'll miss you, old dog.............................
6 comments:
So sad Bliss, but gee you are so lucky that you did not have to make a decision. He just wound slowly down and stopped working.
Nice to see some letters in the newspapers praising DSE workers and their fire fighting efforts.
Thanks Andrew, yes I am very thankful he went suddenly, and have said that a few times beforehand. No decisions, just the shock of finding him.
DSE firefighters? I am glad some have remembered them. They do all the dark and dangerous stuff out in the bush. No cameras there.
Please accept my sympathy Blisshill, what a handsome boy, seems as though you're getting all your hard times at once,
sending love and hugs,
....under the gum tree sounds like a fine and peaceful resting place.
Thanks Zooms. xx
In a different poodle Heaven to the one he was in with you.
The Girls must have known it was coming.
X X X
You do wonder what they know, don't you? They were out in the doggie run for their night's sleep during the recent earthquake, so I didn't get to seee their reaction to that either.
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