What a Lady

Most of you know that I had to put my beloved dog down as she was suffering from lung cancer. I miss her everyday and wanted to do a blog post dedicated to her memory and all the happy times we had with her. 

 Lady came to us from our bishop whose daughter wanted a puppy but then they didn't have the time to train her and knew that Andy wanted a dog. I was so adamant that we not get a dog. I didn't want to have to potty train her, groom her, or take any responsibility for her. Andy begged and pleaded and said he would take care of everything. Little did I know that she would win my heart and end up being my best friend. 

 

 She loved to be outside and loved to camp. Every year we would head to Roosevelt to stay in the SRP housing and she looked forward to that trip.While there, we could walk her and she would get ahead of us, but then would stop and wait until we caught up. While camping, when I would get up to use the "potty tent" which is an outside area covered with tarp and a potty seat, she would follow me and stay outside until I was finished and make sure I got back to camp safely. If Tommy was outside mowing the lawn, Lady was right with him. When I refinished my chairs, she had to be out there with me. She would lay in the front yard like she was the queen. People would walk by and she up and to the sidewalk to greet them.

 She loved to chase birds and did not like them landing in her backyard. All you had to say to her was, "Lady, go get that bird" and out the doggie door she went, chasing the foul creature away. 

 This is one of my favorite pictures of her. She was loyal, kind, and loving and I think this picture shows it, especially in her eyes. When she was a puppy, she loved to chase her tail. It was the funniest thing to watch! She would sit with her tail between her legs and go in circles around and around on the floor. When it was time for bed, all we had to say was, "Lady, lets go night night" and up the stairs she went. She didn't like it when I was upstairs and Tommy was downstairs because she couldn't be with both of us.

 This picture was taken just a few weeks ago. You can see that she has lost a lot of weight and her eyes show that she just wasn't doing well. She still has a smile on her face and those kind eyes. 

 Lady loved peanut butter! We would give her steroids hidden in a ball of peanut butter and then stick it to the top of her mouth. So funny to watch her try to get it off the roof of her mouth. She always knew when it was lunch and dinner time. If we were not headed to the kitchen to eat, the pacing would begin. She knew that she was going to get scraps of food to eat, especially at lunch. It was just she and me and I always shared with her. She loved cream cheese and crackers, carrots, and red bell pepper.

 Towards the end of her life, all she could do so she could breathe was to lay on her side. That seemed to be the most comfortable position for her. Watching her try to breathe was just heart breaking as it was so labored and shallow. She loved to go on walks and Monday through Friday she knew she was going to get to go for her walk. I exercise early in the morning and it never failed that she met me at the door and would not leave me alone until we were out the door for her walk. I'm going to miss that time with her. 

 Lady loved these boys! These pictures were taken when we first found out that she had lung cancer. These boys were at my house all the time. They would get out in the back yard and chase her, but they could never catch her. If they were upstairs, she was right in the middle of them and they loved and wanted her there. 

 

 She LOVED Andy, and he loved her. He has said many times that she was the sister he never had. She was his best friend and he was her's. These pictures were taken about a month ago. She would get tired and head up to bed and one night, Andy followed her and this is what happened. Lots of kisses for him. 

 The funniest thing was to pretend that Andy was hitting me and Lady would go wild. She wasn't one to bark except when we did this. She would bark, and nip at him until he stopped. I always loved that she would protect us if any harm came to us. 

 These two pictures make me so sad. She was so sick and there were nights when she just couldn't get comfortable. She would wander all night long trying to find a place she felt secure and warm. There were nights I would wake up and she was beside the bed just watching me sleep or on the floor laying and waiting for us to get up.

 The lung cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and had spread into her bones. There were days she was not able to put pressure on her front leg, and her back hind legs. I found her in front of her water dish just laying there. The steroids made her thirsty and I guess she wanted to be near her water. 

 I love this picture! It was a rare moment that she felt good and actually was her self again. It was as if she posed for this picture, knowing this may be the last time. 

I will miss her everyday of my life. I will miss her constant companionship, and her unconditional love. She was a loyal friend. She made me laugh and she will always hold a place within my heart. Bless you Lady and I hope you are pain free and happy. I can't wait to see you again!