I Miss My Brother.

Boo is gone. He's not here any more. He was ten years and seven months old. Mom is kind of mopey and sad. Daddy seems better than she does on the outside, but I think he just lies better. I... I am tired. I am a lot quieter. I spent a lot of time making sure that mom knew whenever anything might threaten or scare Boo. Mom thought I was just being a bit of a twerp and making a ton of noise, but now she knows the truth.

Boo's Last Weeks

He got to the point where he just slept, or panted, or whined. That was mostly it for the last week. When mom and dad were in Virginia, about halfway through their trip, he got worse. Teach them to run off and play on the beach! Gerbil and Girl didn't tell them until they got home, but they knew it was almost time. He kept getting onto the slippery floor and then couldn't get up. His hips made crunching noises from his arthritis - mom called it "crepitus" which is a fancy way of saying "nasty crunching bone on bone sounds". His front legs were sore, and they shook a lot and he lapped them a lot, and that was really all he had to pull himself around with. He had an awful time on the stairs, and cried when he had to move very far. He was scared or sad or uncomfortable most of the time, but when they talked to him or pet him, he would try so hard to be happy. I felt bad for him sometimes, and other times I would try to MAKE him get up by racing around him in circles and yowling and shoving my head under his. Totally didn't work.

Boo with Daddy and Me Before He Got Worse Than "Not So Good"

When they got home, he didn't get better. They'd moved the circle of safety a couple of months ago, the rug Boo was on all the time, to make it as close to the water and the door as possible. They've been eating on the dining room table in the living room for a while now. It's reassuring to know that when I am old they will make all sorts of accommodation for me, I can tell you that! These people are serious soft touches! When they say forever home, they mean it.The worst was when on Friday morning when mom caught Mel swatting at him meanly, as if he was trying to "chase Boo onto the ice" as she said. I am not sure what that means, but since I am not a huge fan of ice on my feet I can make a guess. If you put me on ice, I'd just curl up and die. Mom said if she caught him again she'd put Mel on the ice. In defence of Mom, the cat was being really mean. Mom called our new vet, but they were booked and could not fit Boo in until Monday. They suggested we call our old vet, who'd known Boo since he was a baby. Mom called them, and they said it was no problem, and mom and dad could bring him down for 5pm on Friday. They did, and when they came back all they had was his collar and leash, which are under the table by where the circle of safety was. It's so I can smell him if I want. Sometimes I do. Today I sniffed it and sighed and then laid down right there, looking at them. I think I am getting kind of lonely.

Mom says Boo was little once. She said that she and dad got him off of an airplane. She said he was from the Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition, which is why he came on an airplane and not in the car like I did when I came from Cape Cod Shibas. That's because Boo was a "rescue", which means they saved him from something. His mom was sick when she was pregnant with him. Mom says Doc suspected this because Boo's teeth were missing lots of enamel, and the easiest reason is that his mom had a lot of antibiotics when she was pregnant or nursing puppies. The drugs are bad for dogs' teeth.

Mom and Boo at Delta Cargo in Windsor Locks, CT

He was missing half of his tail, too. Doc said that sometimes a mother dog that has puppies alone and unsupervised will accidentally chew of a puppy's tail instead of it's umbilical cord. All of the other puppies in his litter had their tails, so that makes sense. He was kind of cute as a baby, I think, although nowhere near as cute as me as a baby. Who could be?

Mom and Kioshi and Boo

She also said that back then he had a sister, named Kioshi. I am going to let it slide that she named me something that sounds so close to that other dog's name. She said Kioshi was an Akita, and a girl. I know what those are because we are related. I am, however, more closely related to the wolf, which makes me much cooler. Mom says having Kioshi first got her ready for me. As if one needs preparation to have someone like me in their life!

Boo was scared and uncomfortable a lot, and it just took them a lot longer to figure it out. I knew. I've known for a long time. Since Boo died I have been very quiet. I don't alert to every sound any more. Mom says I am so easy to manage that it's kind of scary. I don't need to be alert now; there's really no one here needing protection. Mom can handle herself pretty well. Most of the time. Sometimes I have to try and step in, but she keeps reminding me that I don't need to, and frankly it gets old trying to be in charge. It's a lot easier to just let her be the boss.

December 2012

Anyway, now that he is gone I feel much better about the dopey Christmas pictures with the antlers and candy cane headgear. And also about mom and dad bawling all over us at Christmas while trying to pose for pictures.

 Mommy "Not Crying" with Boo and Me

Daddy "Not Crying" with Boo and Me

I even feel pretty good about Boo's last day, when mom gave him my Christmas bone.

She said I could have it after he was gone, and that he wouldn't do much damage to it since he really didn't feel great. She was right. Six months ago there'd have been nothing but a stub after ten minutes. He had it to himself all day, and I had to stay in mom and dad's room because mom didn't want me bugging him, and he barely touched it.

I don't know what will happen next. I kind of like being an only dog. I get to do more stuff because mom doesn't feel so bad leaving Boo behind. This weekend I went for a hike in the woods, dug in the garden with mom, and laid outside while mom and dad had a fire and drank wine. I like it. But it's lonely. A young brother or sister could be outside too, and dig, and hike, and give me someone to play with. Boo hasn't played in a long while. But at the same time, mom says her heart is all torn up, whatever that means, and she isn't sure she's ready to let some new dog chew more holes in it.

She's wrong, and she'll figure that out soon I am sure. She's already let so many dogs chew holes in it that she should know by now - the more holes we make in her heart, the bigger her heart gets. 

And who couldn't use a bigger heart, right?

The Scary Good Day

My name is Yoshi. I was born on October 18th, 2010. I have two brothers and one sister. We grew up together with our dog-mom and our first human-mom on Cape Cod. My name wasn't always Yoshi. This is my story.

A few weeks ago a Strange Lady and a Strange Man came to my house on the Cape to visit. They played with my  mom and dad, my aunts and my siblings, and with me. I liked them, and they said they liked me best of all my litter. I played fetch with the Strange Man, and he was nice.
I fell asleep on the Strange Lady's leg, and she said she was in love. I heard her say it, just as my eyes closed. Then they went away, and I wondered if they would come back to play again sometime.

One day one of my brothers went away. I missed him, but I still had my mom and my sister and brother to play with. This morning my human-mom brought me upstairs into the kitchen all by myself; my mom and my brother and sister stayed outside. I thought it was funny, but I had a good time being the center of attention. Finally people are learning that this is where I belong!

The Strange Man and the Strange Lady came back! I liked them as much as I did the first time I met them, and they really seemed to like me. I got a collar and a leash from my human-mom. She says that the Strange Lady is now called Mom and the Strange Man is called Dad. She gave the Strange Lady a bag with some toys in it, and they did something called "paperwork", and then I went outside with my new mom - I forget to call her that sometimes, but she says it's ok. I saw a car, and they even let me get in it! I was very excited. Then the Strange... I mean, then Dad and Mom took me for my first ride! It was a lot of fun. We started the car, and backed out of the driveway and then we drove for a little and then...

And then, today, I left home. At first I really wasn't sure if I was having fun or not. We went to the feed store and Dad bought a bag of my food, so I think they are going to feed me. A very nice Strange Lady at the feed store gave me a piece of chicken. It was very good. I am not sure if I can trust the new people or not, but Mom keeps giving me little bits of food now and then, and she holds me on her lap, and I think I will be ok.

I did not like the car ride. There were turns and I didn't like them. I wanted to throw up, but I was very brave and did not. I drooled a lot and made a big mess, but Mom said she had enough towels and it was fine. I thought it was gross. I felt better when we were on the straight roads.

We stopped at a rest area and I met a very old strange dog named Lucky. I liked Lucky and his mom. My mom says that it is more proof that I am going to be a very lucky boy - my new name, Yoshi, means good fortune, AND I met a dog named Lucky for my very first strange dog! She says I have a longer name, too. It's Cape Cod's Fortunate Son. I prefer Yoshi, because it makes more sense.

We had more time in the car, and then we came to what mom says is my Forever Home. We got out of the car and went for a walk and I met another strange dog - this one mom says is my brother, and his name is Boo-Boo. He does not look like a brother. He looks like a buffalo. And I think he smells like one too. He sniffed me a lot and I was scared, so I growled at him. He left me alone a little after that, and I felt very proud, but very scared.

I met my new sister, her name is Girl and she's a human even thought she's my sister. I think that's strange, but I like her a lot.

I came into my new house and found a whole basket of toys ALL for me, and a bed I can sleep in that is perfect for me. I like it a lot.

I met a strange orange thing that makes a weird sound when you touch it. It is called Mel, and they say it is a cat, but I think it is like me. It's orange and my size, so it must be. I will try to talk to it more another time.

At bedtime I went into my bed and cried myself to sleep. I like it here, I think, but I am not quite sure yet.