Sad stuff

Hey blogaroos. Squirmy here on a sad Saturday. Why is it sad? Well, for one, Aunt Sue has gone home. As soon as we saw the suitcase, we realized the party was over. As she went to leave, the Coyote had his head on the floor and he refused to look at her. I gave her one last ricochet and the Boss barked out his good-bye. We were all pretty sad, BUT – she and Keith will be back in August – and that’s not TOO far off.

I went to class yesterday, and despite the fact that we had a bit of a training lull, I didn’t do too badly. I actually managed to do my “stand for exam” , and my sit and down stays without moving around. Those three exercises have not been my forte – I come by the name Squirmy for a good reason.

In other news – this being the other sad part….lately it seems, the Warden has known a fair number of dogs who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Some were PONs and some were Picards…and there were two very special Goldens, a Doberman, a chihuahua, a Lab….the list goes on. And for every one of those humans who lost their best friend , we understand and feel the heaviness in your heart. All of you want us dogs to live forever- and yet for some of us canines, our job is over early. Then for others- we have a very very long and full life – but that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

There are plenty of quotes about the loss of a pet – and we know how heavy and and mind-numbing your grief can be. We found a quote that we hope you can relate to – especially if you’ve been owned by a dog:

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” – From an Irish Headstone

Here is also a good article for those dealing with the loss of a dog…

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-losing-a-pet.htm

We hope that those of you who have recently experienced heart wrenching loss can for even a moment focus on a happy memory- so your smile can halt the flow of tears. Even for a moment….

And lastly….so we don’t leave all of you blowing your noses and leaving wet drops on your computer or other digital device, a word about Bloodhounds. How’s that for a segway?

As you know, Trumpet the Boodhound won the Best in Show at Westminster this past week. Trumpet was the first Bloodhound to ever take home all the biscuits. He sure was handsome. And well behaved. BUT – before you think “hey that’s a cool breed – I want one,” you had better read this:

NOTE: this is not an endorsement for this food. Nor are we criticizing it. But we read through a number of sites about Bloodhounds- and this one made us laugh. And we all can use a good laugh.

https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/dog-breeds/bloodhound

My favorite quotes were:

“Most melodious member of dogdom.” Holy heck the baying and howling sounds like it must be crazy. Even worse than the Boss’ incessant instructions. And that’s bad enough.

“Prodigious drooler.” A PRODIGIOUS drooler. Imagine THEIR French doors.

“Can hurl drool as far as 20 feet.” Do they have a contest for this? I mean who measured it? And who volunteered to measure it?! Yowza!

Those guys really like to follow a scent so they’re not a dog to likely go for off leash walks. Ever. I think more of a flight risk than the Coyote.

Anyway – I’m not dissing the breed. BUT after a show like Westminster or a movie like 101 Dalmatians, people can easily be swept up with the cuteness of a breed. The bottom line – you need to learn about a breed before you take the leap in getting one. In the right home, I’m certain that Bloodhounds are amazing companions. I just wonder if all their walls are covered in soundproof plastic wrap…..

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.