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She picked us. We sat on the floor, amidst 8-9-10 puppies and she picked us. Just walked right over and plopped herself into my 6 year old son's lap. Flirted with my 4 year old daughter too. Licked everybody.
She was a smart dog from the start. So many dogs in suburbia pass through life on leashes and running within fenced yards. Not Daisy. Only took her for walks in town with a leash so as not to alarm strangers, but a leash was an alien thing to her.
Later in life we just forgot about the leash. Let people deal, which they didn't have to, because all she needed was a word, no matter what the distraction - from other dogs, to cats, to whatever. Besides, she liked to travel, to walk, right between mom and I.
She never needed a fence either. She just never got lost, wandered too far or stayed out too late, or caused trouble. She'd only wander off a bit to say hello to a neighbor in their yard, or to see what the neighbors left out for their chickens or to pester the cows. Ya, our version of suburbia was pretty small, at least for awhile it was. We lived at the end of Main Street, where the farmland crept up to the edge of our property, so there were cows and there were steer and chickens and Daisy got along with them all, after a fashion. She did, sometimes, annoy the cows but they knew what to do about her and she knew to keep a certain distance.
In her youth Daisy was fast. Chocolate Labs aren't quite known as streakers but could she ever chase the squirrels. It was something to watch her leap out the back door, like a 50 meter freestyler - all stretch and explosion, then the sprint.
She liked to retrieve. It was her nature. She was happiest when she was bringing me something - a ball, a slipper, my daughter's Barbie dolls. Give it a toss and she perked right up. Game on. My son used to bounced tennis balls off of the garage door, forever, and she would stay right there with him. Catching the ball, giving it up, lining up to do it again.
My children and Daisy grew up together, only Daisy grew up older faster.
In the end it came down to accumulated system failures. The eyesight went early. Then 1 leg. Then something tightening around her trachea. Then both hind legs, her hips, her haunches. Then her G.I. track. Lastly her spirit and then I knew it came down to me. So, today was Daisy's last day.
Tonight, as I turned out the lights, I reached to put the lid on the wooden trash barrel in the kitchen, then I realized I didn't need to do that. There would be no one checking to see if anything interesting found its way into what we politely called "Daisy's late night snack tray".
Most every night, as I turned out the lights, I'd give her one last rub on the head and wish her "good night puppygirl". Tonight, as I get ready for bed, I don't hear the gentle tic-ticking of her toenails on the tile floor in the kitchen, where we kept her bed, or on the hardwood floors as she snuck around the house at night, finding her way to the sofa - her preferred place to sleep - after the lights went out.
I'm restless yet exhausted, and I just wanted to say before the day ended, I wanted to tell the world - or at least to tell some of the world - that there was a dog, a Chocolate Lab, her name was Daisy. She was a sweetheart of a dog, an 85 pound lap dog, and she was as good as they come.
Good night puppygirl.
[edited by: Webwork at 4:54 am (utc) on April 13, 2006]
:)
So sorry to hear about your loss. So glad she was such a big part of your life.
Oh, you're very welcome, My pleasure.
Amy
You and your family should find comfort knowing that since the very first day Daisy adopted ya'll, she was adored, lovingly cared for and cherished.
RIP, Daisy.
When we lost two of our long lived dogs about a year ago I couldn't help thinking about something I heard a long time ago that all of your pets will be waiting for you in heaven... it keeps me going some times...
hang in there
