Piper

For all the challenges that this past year brought, for the Alden family 2021 will always be remembered as "Our Year with Piper". Piper was our neighbor and friend Sheila's 13-year-old Bichon Frise and we loved her like family. 

On Monday the 20th, Sheila took Piper to the emergency vet where they discovered a large tumor on her spleen. Sheila had to make that awful decision that no pet owner ever wants to make. She was saying "good-bye" to Piper too soon. 

Because I found it so helpful to me, I recommend to my pet-loving friends that they write down the little things that their pets do that make them so special. I do this for Missy, but I started it with our previous dog Ginger. I kept a little notebook and in it I would include, not only the day-to-day things she did, but all the silly, funny and unique little traits that made her so loved. 

We lost our Ginger (after 10 years) to an aggressive cancer on March 12th, 2012.  Now, all these years later I read the entries and I am amazed at how many things I had forgotten; how many things still make me cry and how much I still miss her.  

From that very first day in May when Piper came into our house, she became a part of our family. She adapted and blended in with us so seamlessly. She really was a sweet little girl, and she has left us with so many memories. I'd like to share some of my Piper memories with you*. 

𑁦 In the morning when it was time to go pick up Piper, I would say "It's time to go get our little friend" and Missy would come racing out of her room and we headed next door to get "our little friend". 

𑁦 Once at Sheila's house, I'd hitch Missy to the post at the bottom of the porch and go inside to get Piper. Most mornings, she was waiting and would greet me at the back door with her tail wagging. I'd gather her and her things up and we'd go outside. Piper would race out of the door and was always excited to see Missy, but Missy, Missy was all like "Meh". I know that she loved Piper, she just bolted out of the house to get here after all, but Missy always plays it cool with everything and was "Yea. Hello. Whatever. Big deal. I saw you yesterday. Can we just go for our walk please."

𑁦 With both Missy and Piper, aka "The Girls", in tow, I'd head out for a walk around the neighborhood. Piper always had to be up front, and once Piper started walking, she took her job very seriously. I take Missy out for a lot of walks alone because she can be quite difficult - Missy likes to meander and smell everything so I end up having to apologize to our walking buddies that we have to slow down, yet again, to wait for Missy. But Piper, she was all business!  When she was out in front leading us, she did it with such determination and focus and we had to keep moving just to keep up. Piper had the sweetest little ears and I loved to watch them bop bopping as she pranced along. Made me laugh every single time!

Sheila said that every time I walked by the house with Missy, Piper would jump up from wherever she was and go to the door and bark because she wanted to join us. I guess she didn't mind Missy's meandering! 

𑁦 Once we came to our house, Piper would lead us to the garage side door. But once she got there, she waited. Piper was very polite and cognizant of respecting Missy and her house. She only had to get mowed over by Missy once or twice to learn that, even if she got there before Missy, Missy always had to go in first. And Missy's rule applied to the door from the garage to the house too. "Different door, same rule Piper. I go in first". So, Piper patiently waited for Missy to go in first, then she came in. But she didn't just "come in" with a step. Nope, Piper bounced in. Every single time she entered our house, sweet girl bounced in.  Adorbs!  

𑁦 Once Piper was in our house, the first thing she did was go right to the water bowl and take a big drink. We have the same water supply as Sheila, but for some reason, she liked the "Alden" water. Both Missy and Piper got a little treat when we came back from our morning walk, but Missy knew she had to wait until after Piper had her drink, and joined us, before treats were dispensed. Missy is not a very patient dog, but she knew she had to wait for Piper, so she did. 

𑁦 Piper had a few favorite spots in our house. When I was in the kitchen or living room, she would lay on the floor by the plants - from there she could keep an eye on me. She also had a dog bed under the sideboard in the kitchen and if she wasn't by the plants she was under the sideboard. Sometimes, she lay on the floor, right next to the dog bed, although honestly, I couldn't figure that one out!

Piper's other bed was in my studio. On the days that I spent in the studio; Piper was in the dog bed near my feet. As long as she knew that she wasn't alone, she would soon fall into a deep sleep and snore. And snore she did! Bless her little heart, girlfriend could snore! 

𑁦 After a few weeks, Missy got over her obsession with needing to know where Piper was at all times, and we got ourselves settled into a nice routine - Missy would be in 'her' room and Piper was wherever I was. Sometimes, many hours would go by without any activity at all from either dog. When the weather was nice, we'd go out for another walk or go sit outside in the back. It wasn't long before we fell into a nice, easy and comfortable rhythm and our days passed by nicely.

𑁦 Sometimes there would be a little activity in the front of the house that would get Missy's attention. Missy would start barking and that would get Piper up, so off she went into the other room to check it out. Missy would look back over at Piper and relayed some signal that meant her bark was required as well. Piper could not see out of the window, but if Missy 'told' her to bark, she barked. 

𑁦 When the "Turfmaster" man came to the house, I would have to open the front door to let the girls out because they carried on so. He had dogs and he always gave Missy and Piper lots of loving. Once they learned who he was, they were not about to let him go without getting their ears scratched or their belly rubbed.  After that was done, the girls would come back into the house content, and he was able to do his job. 

𑁦 I can't share memories about Piper without talking about her farts! Look at this face! How is it possible that this sweet little girl would be able to produce room-clearing farts?!  And what made it so adorable was that she did it without waking up or even being aware that she was doing it! I was a little apprehensive about bringing up Piper's 'situation' with Sheila, but once I did, oh! how we laughed! She had quite a few stories to share too! 

𑁦 Piper LOVED Bill. When she came into the house and saw Bill, she would immediately go up to him to get her ears scratched. Most days she would not let me leave her sight, but if Bill was home, she would sit on the back porch with him for hours. She adored him. If she was at our house later, she would go into the bathroom with him and lay there as he shaved. She'd lay outside the shower and when he exited, he had to be careful as to not step on her. She only came out when he was done. Bless her heart, sweet Piper had a little crush on my husband.❤️

𑁦 Dinner times with the girls were always an adventure! The first time I attempted to feed Piper at our house, Missy tried to eat her food first. Missy has spent her whole life acting like she is starving to death. She is not possessive of her food, but she is absolutely and definitely food focused. There was no way that Piper would be able to get to her food dish and eat it before Missy approached and overtook her. Then, we tried to feed Missy first, but that didn't work out either because Missy would eat her food super-fast because, apparently she thought that if she finished all of her food, then she would get Piper's food too. We needed a new plan.

So, after much trial and error, we figured out how to feed the girls. We would prepare both bowls of food at the same time and then I would say "Let's go eat" and we would go outside. I would pick up Piper and put her in my lap and then, only then, could I put Missy's bowl down. With Piper on my lap, I would literally hand feed Piper her dinner. I know for a fact that Sheila did not hand-feed Piper her meals, because honestly, why should she? Sheila didn't have a "starving" Missy to contend with. But Piper, from the first day I put her on my lap, this little gal acted like she had been hand fed her entire life. Once Piper was done eating, I put the bowl down for Missy to lick clean. That was her reward for letting Piper eat her food in peace. It took a while, but just as with everything else, we figured it out and got into a nice routine and flow.

One of the best things about being pet a owner is that they provide us with so much love and happiness. And it is exactly that reason why the good-byes are always heartbreaking and always seem to come too soon. Sheila, her family and friends, all adored Piper and I know how much she is missed. 

Piper was a very sweet, charming and gentle dog and we loved sharing our home with her. 

Thank you, Sheila, for sharing your Piper with us, we will always have a spot in our heart for your sweet girl. 

* In July I wrote a blog about Missy and Piper and their friendship if you would like to read it: (Missy Makes Me Laugh: Missy and Piper) 

Compassion, Love and Senior Dogs

I was at Inman Animal Hospital yesterday morning with Missy.  As often the case early in the morning, their parking lot was full and they were very busy.  

When I went to check in, there was a young gal at the front entrance with a small dog on a leash. The dog was pacing and sniffing but didn't look threatening so I stopped and asked her if I could pet her dog.  She said 'yes'. I asked what her name was and she said "I don't know. My mom and I found her last night. She's blind". Tears filled my eyes. This poor dog, lost and blind, bless her heart. And God bless this mother and daughter for taking her in.  

As I was checking in Missy, one of the office girls said to the Tech, "We are ready for the Euthanasia now. My heart sank. As I walked out, I saw an older gentleman carrying a hound wrapped in a blanket. The dog was on his back and this big man just cradled him in his arms. I looked at the man's face and he was crying, his face full of sorrow and pain. This was their next patient.  

I got to my car and I cried. I cried deep and I prayed hard. I cried because my heart was just so heavy with what I witnessed. And I prayed because we serve a good Lord and He hears our prayers. I prayed for strength for both of these families, comfort for both of these dogs, and wisdom and guidance for all the workers inside that building. 

I've recently started reading books about the care of Senior Dogs (our Missy turned 10 this year) and started following some groups on Instagram (#seniordogsofinstagram, #seniordogsrule, #seniordogs). I find myself being drawn to the sweet 'frosty faces' and 'grey muzzle' of older dogs and I enjoy seeing their pictures in my feed.  

Unfortunately, along with the pictures sometimes there are some heartbreaking stories as well. After one particularly hard day of sadness, I thought, I cannot do this. I am simply not strong enough to endure this emotional pain and I was going to 'unfollow' these groups. My heart breaks with every story about an abandoned senior pet, or a senior pet that has crossed over the rainbow bridge. So many stories and pictures that are just so incredibly sad and touching, and I think that I just can't bear this much pain. 

And then I read about the people who adopt these senior dogs. I've learned about people and organizations who take in senior dogs and allow them to live their last few years surrounded by love. I read about people who refuse to give up on a dog simply because he is old. And I witness firsthand the family that finds a lost blind dog and take her to the vet to get help. I see a man who provides the final act of love and compassion to his treasured family member. And this is what I choose to focus on. 

I know that I will continue to cry and have my heart broken by stories of suffering and loss. But I will continue to focus on the stories of hope and new starts. I will choose to be uplifted and reassured that there are good and kind people in this world. And I will continue to look for and focus on finding them. 

I truly believe, and I know in my heart, that there are more people who are filled with compassion and love and goodness than there are people who are cruel and unkind.  And goodness and love will always win.