We laughed to hear that Shannon had purchased a dog house and heated bed for her, did I mention how spoiled she was going to be? We were saddened to find that supposedly a law had been changed regarding import of pets to the U.K. which basically added a few more grand to the price tag. Small children and the exchange rate and a wrecked car, again got in the way of getting our girl here. We found not long ago that there was actually no such law, but would not have been surprised as the U.K. has the most stringent and expensive pet importation rules in place. Meaning...we could have afforded a few times to get her here but did not know it and then as usual, something got in the way. I so badly wanted to get her here for a surprise for Mike. For Christmas, for his birthday, for his promotion...next step, father's day.
However, we were saddened to hear that she'd fallen ill. She was playing and happy and that big thumpy tail still wagging but not hungry. Which...if you know Sue at all, something is very very wrong with that scenario. She could stop everything else, but so long as she were eating...she was fine. They rushed her to the vet and he said it was an infection, gave her antibiotics and sent them on their way. Within 48 hours she'd lost 4lbs and could no longer get up. They took her to a different vet, that Shannon had used for a few years now and loves and that is when they got the sad news. Her bloodwork showed cancer. It was just too late. Obviously, whatever it was, it was extremely aggressive. They had to make the heart breaking decision, the same one that we would have made ourselves, to put her down.
We take great comfort in knowing that Shea had spent the weekend prior at Granny's house and played with Sue the whole time. That Sue was happy, and waggy and doing her best doggie smile. That means, she may not have felt 100% but she was still very happy and fighting whatever it was she was unable to tell, with every bit of her being. SHe did not suffer. SHe was happy and well cared for and so very loved. I am beyond saddened that we have lost our fat grizzly bear doggie. I am saddened all the more that Pop and Shannon had to be put through this at all. Knowing how deeply they love animals, how special they are to them and how much they just loved our Sue-dog especially, it just honestly broke our hearts that much more. They had to go through this with their own little pup just a year ago, so to open that wound again FOR us, kills me.
I know it was difficult enough for them to have to even go through this, difficult still more to be the ones holding this decision in their hands as it was down to very little time and she was indeed at this point, suffering, and adding to all of that the difficulty that came with having to call Mike. I know how hard it has been to have to explain things to my little boys who really don't understand what I"m talking about much. That hurt, and their questions and trying to understand it hurt, their tears hurt all the more...I can only imagine having to tell them something sad in 10, 20 or 30 years. It will forever be difficult and make things that much more painful.
So...just a note for Shannon and Pop. Thank you from the depths of our hearts for caring for her so much, so well. Thank you for taking her in for us, thank you for not being put out when we could not get her here when expected, thank you for gladly taking her and being happy to do it. Thank you for letting her be somewhere she was comfortable and used to and happy, around people she still knew and that have always loved her. I am so very very sorry that you guys had to go through this, but I thank you for doing it and for not being afraid to make the right decision. We owe you both so much.
THANK YOU.
I must say I guess this is one of those times Mike pulled out his "man-ness" and I actually cried more over the dog than he did. It's okay though, we know that there were probably times it got down to me or the dog and I might not have been so comfortable in my placement! (just kidding of course...I think!). When I met Mike he already had Sue, she was about 4 months old. Spoiled out of her ever loving mind already too I must say. She was NOT pleased with my presence either. In a labrador sort of way though. She played the dopey dumbass dog, but she was no such fool. She knew better than to growl or snap...nope. She was a true female through and through. That's not how you go about things. No sir. Us sly gals go around the back way. She tried with all her doggie might the best she could to get her place back, but unfortunately I was bigger and supplied food. It, of course, is all in jest.
I'd come over after I got off from bartending and climb in bed and Sue would be in the middle of the bed. She'd put her back against Mike and literally PUSH me as hard as she could with her paws trying to knock me out onto the floor. I didn't say she was subtle in her attempts, just not equipped enough is all. That didn't work so she moved on to destruction. My boots, she ate the tops off of them. Much to her dismay, Mike went out and bought me some new ones. Then, Mike's most favorite story to tell...rarely do I get embarrassed, but sometimes I prefer for him not to share with some of the folks he shares it with. However, no one is spared from this story. I'd bought a cute red (it's his favorite color) lingerie thingie with fuzzy feathery stuff all across the top of the bra. Obviously, we'll stop there, but it was on the floor and the next morning we found that Sue had plotted out her next move with quickness and tact. Red fuzzy feathery stuff from one end of the house to the other! Shredded! I am pretty sure that there was still traces of it when we sold the house a few years later.
I believe about this time she decided that wasn't going to work, as Mike was moving my belongings in, she figured out I wasn't going to be run off by a dog. Not that she ever realized she WAS a dog really. Then came the obnoxious lab "pre-teens", she drove me insane. Mike, the ol' pushover just let her get away with anything and MAN was that dog obnoxious!!! He had to deploy leaving me there in charge and Miss Sue and I enrolled in doggie boot-camp. I began taking her to USTK-9 training academy out in Tye and basically upon our first visit Malinda (the owner and head trainer) said something along the lines of, "oh my God..." and well Sue was introduced to the shock collar. Oh animal rights activists, back off. For real. Puh-LEAZE. I put it on ME before I ever put it on her. I wasn't running it, the professional was.
Before we left, that spastic obnoxious labrador blur was sitting and staying. I sat across the room and played with another dog while she stayed where I told her too. She no longer ran 900 miles an hour at the little dogs, she'd actually AVOID them at all costs. One time. All it took. New dog. Sorry, but I am a believer. Oh I'm awful? Well, there'd be a LOT fewer dogs in pounds, rescues and on the streets or worse, if people were open to a little "tough love" once in awhile. She never yelped, got hurt, or even acted afraid (okay she was a little scared of that weenie dog). It actually ended up that she was happier b/c she wasn't constantly being scolded, she was now enjoyable to be around. You could get her attention. We continued her training there and she learned how to get in a crate after only one lesson and it was never the end of the world after that. She figured out that she got treats and praise when she behaved. It was great!
Mike came home and was amazed at how much better she behaved and she was well mannered from there on out. Less a few annoyances, but we never said she had to be perfect...that'd be boring.
Other dogs came and went, Sue was always there. We added short people to the household and she loved them dearly. Mostly, I think, because they dropped a lot of food. They loved her so much. Their favorite thing was to make her speak. It was pretty cute to watch and I could've sworn I had it on video, but have yet to locate that.
Sue and I butted heads on numerous ocassions, but it's okay. That's what family does. I'd complain about her, but if anyone else did they could honestly just piss off and get over it. You know how it is.
She was a wonderful, loving, happy, fat, lazy, excitable, eager, annoying, spastic, ball chasing, food eating, begging, rule bending mutt that we loved very very much.
My most favorite thing to do with Sue was to take her to the ranch. She could honestly swim and fetch ALL STINKIN DAY LONG. She'd wear herself down to the bone everytime we went and she'd climb up in the truck stinking of mud and tank and fish and pass out for the entire night.
She was, a damn good dog.
Yes, even as much as I hated to admit it out loud...I've missed her a GREAT deal and well... I am just as heartbroken as anything that she is no longer with us.
I didn't really bother saying anything to COdy about her because he was too little to really remember her and was actually pretty aloof about her anyway. I talked to Kade about it and he's so sensitive anyway, he asked me several questions and my parenting rule is to always be honest but definitely to keep their innocence in check. So we spoke about her getting sick, and he asked if she got sick in the potty like Cody did that time. I had to explain that sometimes people and animals get very very sick and they just can't get better. It took a few times of saying it, that he stopped asking if he could just go see her and left it at he wanted to see her with her puppy angel wings on and I told him that someday...we all would. Then Dexter the peacock showed up for his supper and our conversation was over. I assumed he'd ask me about her in depth a couple of days later, as is his usual fashion, but honestly so far nothing really. He may, he may not. He might be satisfied with the answers he got or he may come back for more in a month. At the moment though, he is fine. Obviously the fact that she's been out of sight, out of mind had a big hand in how well he took that.
Omage to Sue...in photos of course:
She always loved her Daddy best, there was never a question of that.
Always behind, beside or underneath Kade.
She rarely got bored of my camera either.
I think she had a thing for baby breath, like some people have for puppy breath!
Cody's thinking, "Oh Mom please tell me she knows I'm not an eclair..."
Happy Dog Smile
Probably plotting against me yet again... or wishing Kade would hurry and drop a cheetoh. Both equally important in her world. ;)
Of course it appears as though she's eating it, but she's just sporting her favorite stolen kid toy and showing her team support.
Camera-ham much???
We were definitely always lucky for she was always super, super healthy. Look at that stunning coat! The bat matched her eyes, that's why she liked it. ;)
dog parts, like baby parts...but ya know, in dog perspective. (okay it's just a photographer thing).
hangin' with her boy...
what she was best at, being a dipstick. Kade always giggled every single time she did this number.
Obviously, she was always up for a tea party, er...manly picnic.
#1 house rule. Don't feed the dog! Not b/c we were mean or cared, but b/c she was a lardo and I'd put her on a diet. Here's Cody's first bits of rebellion. Who could really resist that stare though?
Hehehe! Busted!
One of my ALL TIME, like EVER EVER, favorite pictures in this entire world. She LOVED that boy. I love the look in her eye here.
and HE loved HER...
Very much. This is their last photo together. The day the movers came and took all of our things off in giant crates.
Doing our favorite thing. The last time we took her to the farm. Always up for a game of fetch in the tank. If she couldn't find the stick, she'd not stop swimming till she found something, sometimes we'd have to toss another out so she'd come back out. Our favorite though was when she'd bound into the water full speed ahead after it.
Well this just caught me as cute. We got Kade a "kid-tough (for kids not as tough as mine) camera" for Christmas when he was 3 and this was his portrait of us w/ Sue.
Her wedding outfit. 8o)
Good dogs make good eye contact. Looks like a good dog...
Baby smile maker.
She was there with us when we got engaged, times we were together, times we were apart, through pregnancies, babies, losses, moves and everything else a family goes through as it grows.We will miss you always Sue. Thanks for always being such a good dog and I really did enjoy you being such a pain in my ass, I think we shared that ability in life. Being a pain in the ass tends to force fondness of you into the hearts of those that fight it most.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo doll.
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