Bogie and Ducky knew exactly what we both needed in a puppy. Their little brother is sweet, adorable, and precious. He is active and curious, and all. over. the. place! He keeps us – mostly me – busy.
He’s not much of a snuggler yet, but that’s okay. He prefers the coolness of the kitchen floor to the warmth of the living room carpet, and apparently my lap as well. But he did oblige me with a short snuggle session on Monday afternoon.
My Baby Snugglebuddy
This little boy has been living up to his name. He runs around like a little Tasmanian devil, but he’s still calm. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh, and he expands my heart with his puppy kisses.
So by now you have figured out that the “project to enhance our lives” was adding a puppy to the family again.
Our little Zen is not “just any puppy”. He is a very special puppy, for a few reasons:
1. He was chosen for us by Bogie and Ducky.
2. He was born on St. Patrick’s Day, like his dog mama.
3. Zen is Bogie’s baby cousin by birth. Zen’s mama, Sunny, and Bogie’s mama, Bailey, are full sisters.
He is a very sweet little boy, and so far living up to his name. Although quite active and curious, he is a calm little guy. He slept through a couple of his hu-daddy’s dementia-induced tantrums already. And wasn’t at all fazed by one during which he was awake. He just went right on being curious about his environment of the moment. Hopefully he’ll continue to be unfazed.
Since we only brought him home yesterday, we all still have much learning about each other to do yet. I will be posting more about our little leprechaun as the days and weeks go by.
Oh my sweet baby girl, where have the years gone?! It seems like only yesterday when I first met you at the shelter!
Baby Ducky
And a couple of months later, you came home with me for good and changed all our lives forever.
You loved Callie and Shadow, and wanted to play constantly. You pestered the bejeepers out of them both; and were constantly getting into tussles with Shadow over one toy or another. Callie did her best to teach you good doggie manners, but for a while we wondered if you were paying attention.
My sweet girls
On Shadow’s birthday a month later, we started taking you to doggie daycare (thank you, Sabine, for the recommendation). Shadow said it was the best birthday present we could have given her. 😁 Callie was grateful for the break, too.
When Callie left us three years later, you were as heartbroken as Daddy, Shadow and I were but you got us through it. Especially Shadow. You became her friend and constant companion. You still tussled with her over toys at times; but you showed us that you had been paying attention to Callie all those times. You stayed by Shadow’s side when she was so sick at the end. You “protected” her in the yard, and gave her kisses on the head at times.
I love you, Shadow
After Shadow reunited with Callie, you helped Daddy and I heal. You needed a playmate, though, so we fostered Radar with all intention of adopting him. You two hit it off right from the start. Not just sister and brother, but best and most special friends.
Best Friends
When Radar left us to join Callie and Shadow, we were all devastated. You looked for your buddy constantly, and the sadness in your eyes when you couldn’t find him tore my heart apart. Yet, as you had when your sisters went ahead, you pulled Daddy and me through it.
When we brought Bogie home last year, you weren’t sure what to make of him. We had promised you another brother to play with, but I’m not sure you were quite ready for an 8-week-old puppy. You soon found out what “karma” is, even though you don’t understand me when I tell you.
That’s MY toy, Bogie.
You’ve come full circle, little girl. You started out your life with us as the little sister who was a constant pest. And, until a few weeks ago, you were the older sister who tolerated a much younger sibling’s constant pestering.
Once again you’re an only dog, trying to help Daddy and Mama to heal from yet another devastating loss. And missing your favorite pest. It has taken you all this time to realize Bogie’s not coming home in his earthly form. You still look for him at times. Or maybe you sense his spirit is here with us, wanting to play with and love on us and to be loved on.
We love you Ducky. We love you to the moon and back. We love you more than any words could ever express. You’re our sweet baby girl, our princess, our earth angel with paws instead of wings. You’re our precious, loving, sweet senior puppy.
You were taken from us way too soon, sweet boy! Daddy, Ducky, Uncle Doug, and I miss you terribly. Daddy, Uncle Doug, and I still have tearful moments. And Ducky still looks for you multiple times a day. Sometimes, I’m sure, she senses your presence.
Last week I wrote a list of some of the things I miss about you. I thought it would help my shattered heart. So, here goes…..
Things I Miss About Bogie
His goofy smile…
His sweet, loving nature.
His innate ability to sense when his Daddy needed him.
His affectionate nature. He was all about giving “kisses” and climbing into my lap – in the chair – or laying next to me on the couch with his head in my lap.
His pestering Ducky all the time.
His stealing Ducky’s Kong Bounzer out in the yard.
His stealing paper towels and tissues off the tables in the living room whenever he had the chance.
It was a week yesterday that our sweet boy went to Heaven/the Rainbow Bridge. I cry my eyes out multiple times a day.
I want to write a full post, but I just can’t yet. If you go to the menu bar and click on Bogie’s name, you’ll see the little bit that I could write the other day.
Sleepy Boy in Mama’s ChairHi Mama!How could he have been comfortable??Bogie and his Dad. ❤️
Over the last few weeks, Bogie and I have started a morning routine. A must-have for both of us.
Every morning after Bogie, Ducky and I come in from their first bathroom break of the day – and after I make the coffee and pour my first mug – I find Bogie waiting for me in the living room. He wants his morning cuddle/snuggle session with mama.
Fast asleep with his head on my leg.Ahhhh, this is the life!Ooooh! Scratch right there, Mama!
Bogie loves his Daddy, too; but since I’m the one who normally takes him (and Ducky) out first thing, I’m the one who’s blessed with this boy’s morning kisses. ❤️
Just to prove Bogie loves his Daddy too, here’s a photo I took a few minutes ago….
Bogie sharing Daddy’s chair.
It’s hard for Bogie to get up in the chair with hubby because hubby takes up more space than I do; but they manage long enough for me to get a photo.
Just figured I’d share some of the shenanigans that were going on this morning.
And then this ….
These two hooligans keep us laughing, that’s for sure. They’re also going to make us both deaf one of these days. 🤣
I realized I haven’t posted anything in a while, so it’s time to share the growing friendship between Ducky and her baby brother. Yeah, she still gets jealous and snarky; but she’s playing with him more than grumbling at him.
When we adopted you from the shelter, you were a little demon. Sweet to us and Callie, but you tormented Shadow almost constantly. Thank goodness Callie knew just what to do to keep you in line. And then daycare helped you work off some of that excess puppy energy.
Callie was on alert to prevent argument between her younger sisters
Fast forward some years and Callie had gone ahead to be our guardian angel. I wondered if you would ever stop tormenting poor Shadow. You did, for the most part. Callie must have told you to be a good girl. 🤣
Sisters at last
Then a few years later, when Shadow was sick and hurting, you stayed right by her side nearly 24/7 until we all said goodbye. Just before she left us to reunite with Callie you gave her a sweet goodbye kiss on her head.
Then there was your most special friend and foster brother, Radar. He was here for such a short time, but you two were best friends from the start.
A rare quiet moment between the 2 hooligans
When Radar left us, we were all devastated. As with Callie and Shadow, you kissed him goodbye just before he left to join your sisters. It took a while for you to accept that your buddy was here with you in spirit only. And that made it harder for me to adjust; but somehow the three of us helped each other get through another devastating loss.
I promised you – a few days after Radar left – that when the time was right, Daddy and I would find you a new friend, another brother. I asked Radar to help his sisters find us another Golden Boy for us all to love. Now I can tell you we’ve been working on fulfilling that promise.
My “little black demon dog” of 2012 has grown into my little earth angel of 2020 and beyond.
HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY DUCKY!!!! We love you sweetie!!!!
It’s hard to believe you’ve been with us for eight years! I remember that first day like it was yesterday.
Ducky on Adoption Day
You were so darn cute! Even though you were – as Dr. Steve named you a week later – a “little wild child”, you had stolen our hearts that weekend we fostered you.
Callie and – especially – Shadow didn’t know what to make of you. You had turned their calm, quiet lives upside down and inside out that weekend. And it took them a few days to figure out you were here to stay this time.
You drove us all to distraction at times. As far as Shadow was concerned, your first day at A Dog’s Day Out was the best birthday present I could ever have given her. 🤣 You came home too tired to be a pest.
After Daycare
Fast forward less than three years, and you helped Shadow, Daddy, and me through our grief over losing Callie to the lymphoma. And three and a half years later, you helped us through saying goodbye to Shadow as she reunited with Callie.
You were thrilled to have a friend again when we added Radar to our little family. He became your best friend and brother almost overnight. You two had a blast together every day.
Losing Radar to the heartworm disease just a few days after his third month with us had begun was devastating. All three of us were in a fog of disbelief, of confusion, and of heartache. I still get leaky-eyed sometimes when I think of our Golden Angel Boy. But you came to our rescue again. You helped us lift that fog.
These last several months you’ve been dealing with those hind-end issues. You poor girl. You are so stoical. Thanks to the Your End of the Lead course (YEL 2.0) that I’ve been taking – especially the community of likeminded folks who helped me pick up on your clues – I was able to realize you needed veterinary attention. Dr. Steve, Dr. Simpson, and the entire staff at Sunrise Animal Hospital has been wonderful – no surprise! – in their care of you and teamwork with me to get you feeling better. Your issues have decreased substantially and continue to improve daily.
A few months ago, I wrote a post where I called you my little earth angel. And that proves to be true every minute of every day. I don’t know what I would do without you, Ducky. I don’t want to know. You – like your sisters before you – have become my canine soulmate. I (and Daddy) love you to the ends of the universe and back.
Our Sweet Baby Girl
So, here’s to you Miss Ducky! My sometime wild child and always loving baby girl. ❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾
in my heart 4ever 