Easter weekend

I just received a call from Home Again Pet Recovery. At first I thought that maybe Skooter or Moped had gotten out and were lost. But it was a transfer of Skooter to the new owners. I'm glad they are putting in the effort with the Skoot Man. It tells me that he really is a part of the family and they really do care about him.

It's been hitting me today that the dogs are really gone. This Blog is about two dogs that I don't have anymore! They are not out on the porch catching rays (especially not in today's weather) or in their kennels napping. They are gone. They are in separate homes, living with other families. And it sounds like they both are doing really well with the transition.

The roads have cleared up quite a bit so I'm not too worried about Skooter's family traveling with him this weekend. He'll make a fine addition to the festivities. I'm really glad that he is an integral part of the family. They could have put him in doggy day care for a night or two, but they chose to have him go with them. That makes me happy.

And then there's the Mopster (or whatever they are calling him now :-) ). He's become such a part of the family that they want to name him themselves. I think that is sweet. Moped just isn't a name that most people could live with. Imagine introducing your dog as Moped. How silly is that when you don't have a Skooter to go along with it? I do hope that they'll call Kris and let her know what they have named him. He'll always be Moped to us though. I hope they are enjoying the energy he has. He's such a happy go lucky little fella.

I can imagine both of them smiling and wagging their tails (tick, tock, tick, tock :-) ) a lot. They must be loving being out of their kennels so much of the time.

David said yesterday that we probably could have kept Skooter. That devastated me. It made me feel like I've done the wrong thing. But I thought about it quickly and realized that I haven't made a mistake. Skooter was jumping the fence and therefore had to be put on a tie out when he needed to go outside. I couldn't get him to walk decently on a leash with Moped. And I couldn't let him stay out of his kennel and make Moped stay in his because he couldn't behave like Skooter would. And when I went out he had to go in his kennel because there was a great chance that boredom would set in and he would chew on stuff. No, it was no life for Skooter here with us.

I was just thinking about the letters that I sent with the dogs. I wonder what the new owners thought of them. I was feeling very emotional when I wrote them and didn't put in enough stuff about things that they each liked (ice cubes, popcorn, yogurt). I didn't tell them about Mister Wiggles or Puddin' Pop. I did give them the link to the Dog Blog so maybe they are keeping up with what the dogs liked through it. If they are reading this I'd like them to know how grateful I am that they have given my dogs a wonderful home, a home that they deserve. I'd tell them that I thank them for giving Skooter and Moped a chance at a better life.

I still wish I had said goodbye to them better. I should have taken last pictures and had pictures of them with me and with David. I should have hugged and kissed their fuzzy faces for a long time so I could remember how they feel and how they smell. I should not have been afraid to cry and show how much it hurt me to let them go. I should have petted them for a long time and hugged them. I should have made them happy one more time, so I could see their tails wag. If I had it to do again (and I hope I never do!) I would do it all so differently. I would have gone through there toyss and chews and separated it out for each of them instead of just dumping it all in bags because I just couldn't bear to hold on to their toys. I would have let Skooter ride in the back seat so I could see him and touch him. And I would have slowed down and taken in the whole experience so I could give them what they deserved, what they needed in a goodbye. I was very selfish and self-centered in my grief.

Now, when there is some distance, emotionally and physically, I can be more objective and be happy for them. And I do want to be happy for them. That's all I really wanted was for them to have better lives. Their lives here were too stressful, for them and for me. They were bored so much of the time when they were here. Going out into the yard just wasn't enough for them. And Moped always egged Skooter on to play fight and it seems like that's all they ever did. I had one day with Moped being settled down. That was the day he got neutered. He layed on the floor with me and just was so calm and loving. I treasure that memory. The rest of the time he was running around like a wild man and driving me up a tree. But he was cute when his tail wagged, tick, tock, tick, tock. And he loved being in his dad's lap.

I have so many good memories of Skooter. Seeing him do his Mister Wiggles, taking a nap with him, riding in the car with him and having him sleep straight-legged in bed with us. :-) So many happy memories. Then of course there's the other side of Skooter, the one that led to him chewing up my glasses ($159 repair!) and ripping couch pillows apart. He is quite the boy.

I miss them. I wish I could have done things differently with them so I could have kept them. I wish so many things were different in my life, but it is what it is. Maybe another dog will fit into our lives, maybe not. And maybe it just won't be a GSP until we live somewhere with some property. Who knows? I'm not going to force anything.

The cats are happy that they have the run of the house and can be with me/near me all of the time. I'm not used to having an animal be so calm and sit in my lap so much. Sometimes I feel like I never get a break. And the cats don't interact with me like Skooter and Moped did. It was a different kind of relationship. I hope to have that again one day.

Well, that's enough blather for now. I'll get back to the real world for a while. Thank goodness I have the Dog Blog to run to when I need a break from reality. It's been good for me.