I am at such a loss as I sit here during the day without you, Dear Friend. I have begun to go through old pictures of you and even return to forums that I have participated in to see what I said about you. I cannot believe how many pictures we have taken of you, Pretty Little. And yes, of course, I shared you with others as I chatted on the forum.
Written on March 6, 2007, about you, Little Dog, on a forum:
I took in a six year old Shihtzu a couple of years ago because she was being dumped. First of all, I am not a "little dog person" so I was apprehensive about this and did it with the intention of finding her a permanent home. Well, after just two weeks, she felt like she had always been part of the family. Yes, she dominated the rest of the "pack" as well. The Doberman would actually run from her and let her jump up and bite him without doing anything to her. (She was playing, but it looked painful.) She seems very human and seems to strive for it. She seems a bit "high maintenance", but she always seems to make you feel like it is YOUR idea to worship her. I read about these dogs, and it said that they want to be worshipped rather than the other way around, and I'd have to agree. That being said, she is so sweet and loving that you really do not mind giving her that extra attention. She seems to be more distant than other dogs that I've had (like she will sometimes sit in another room away from us); however, anyone can approach her at anytime, and she is ready to be picked up, petted, play, whatever you want. She is consistently waiting for us at the door and wagging her tail when we get home. The only sadness that I have had with regard to her - and it is more about compassion toward her - is that she must have had a very bad grooming experience because whenever I bathe her, she fights me concerning the necessary cleaning and maintenance of eyes, face, and nails. I used to fight with her pretty hard in an effort to make her look nice; however, at some point, it just broke my heart when I realized that she didn't understand what was going on and probably wondered why I am being so mean to her. She was terrified and fighting me while I was being rough with her, and yet, while she could have used her teeth on me, she never did. It just never occurred to this sweet, loving, and loyal dog to hurt me even when she thought I was hurting her. This just broke my heart, and so I have just lightened up concerning her grooming and keep her hair short and clean. That is the only goal now.
She is aging now, and she can only see some light or shadows from time to time, but she is pretty much blind. However, she is still the happy-go-lucky loving dog that she always was. We are mindful of this and do not rearrange furniture or leave things around that could hinder her. I dread the day when her health fails, or she becomes completely withdrawn and is no longer happy because this little dog has become a BIG part of our family, and there will be a big hole in our lives where Little Dog once was.
I am a "big dog person", but I will forever remember Little Dog with the Big Heart.
This forum post brought tears to my eyes the day that I wrote it, whenever I read it back to myself, and does definitely bring tears to my eyes today.
Miss you, Little Dog. I have no idea how we are going to do it without you.
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