About a Dog

Poochie was born February 6, 1999 to a dog of questionable virtue named Tigger. We never knew for sure who her father was. When she was a very small puppy, she was bitten by another dog and had to get stitches in her neck. She then came to Kevin's parents' house to stay while she healed. Well, this was around the time of my midterms, and just before Kevin and I were married, so any time I spent at their house included my backpack and reading glasses. So this tiny ball of adorable black fur snuggled up on my lap with my textbooks and slept away her ailments as I studied. A few months later, after we were married, when we went back to collect Kevin's things and move to our farm house, we packed Poochie up right along with everything else and took her with us.

She was our first baby, and the first animal I have ever had to live in my home. We taught her to sit, shake, roll over, and say, "Please." It took forever for that last one, because she is not a dog who is overly prone to barking(which I love and appreciate). Kevin taught her to go look in the mirror when asked to "find the pretty puppy." If asked where her shadow was, she would run to put her nose against the wall as she tried to find it. She also gives hugs. By that I mean she puts a paw on each of my shoulders, and curls her head around my neck and gives a real hug, like she means it.

Long story short, Poochie is a brilliant and extraordinary dog. Over the years, when my toddler children pulled on her ears or legs, or hugged her a little too tightly, she merely gave me a dirty look, instead of retaliating. When my babies cried, she would come to me to make sure I had noticed, and she would stay at my feet until I fixed the problem. Now when they cry, she nuzzles their cheek. Mine, too. I am starting to prepare myself, and the kids, for the time when she will leave us. I have never been through this before. She was recently diagnosed with a cancer for which treatment would cause more damage than benefit to her. So I know it is coming. I know life will go on for our family, but while she is still here and relatively healthy I just wanted to say that Poochie is a brilliant and extraordinary dog. Coming from a childhood of hunting dogs and livestock, I never understood the depth of feelings some people had for their pets. I never knew the birthday of any of the animals from my childhood. I totally get it now, though. I get how a dog can be a huge and integral part of your family. Poochie has shared our home for twelve years. That is twelve years of Thanksgivings and Christmases and New Years and Independence Days and birthdays. And over the weekend she had one of those. Happy Birthday, Poochie Peavler...from your family.