We have been blessed to have had some truly wonderful 4 legged companions over the years. I've loved watching my girls grow up with loving dogs by their sides. One dog that has been with them for quite some time is Peanut.
We didn't get Peanut as a puppy. Peanut came to us well trained and much loved from some horse show friends of ours. We gladly opened up our house to Peanut and she taught Libby a ton about showing dogs. Peanut was her trained obedience dog that won her Grand Champion at the fair. She also got Reserve Champion with her in agility. Now, if you have never seen an 8 lb chihuahua doing agility, you haven't lived. I have never laughed so hard as I did at little Peanut "racing" around the course. My favorite memory is when Peanut dashed into the tunnel and decided she had had enough running for one day so she laid down and it took a lot of coaxing for Libby to get her back out and back on course. Oh how I wish I would have had it on video. But she could do a sit/stay like nobody's business and she looked pretty cute jumping the bar laid on the ground (since she's so short - her jumps were shorter too).
When I divorced and we moved to town we tried finding a new home for Peanut for about 2 seconds. It was quickly decided that Peanut would have to come with us. We tried keeping Gunner happy in town too, but eventually we did the right thing and found him a family back in the country. Peanut has been and still is very much a part of our family.
There is something so incredible about this dog. For the most part, she could give a rip less about other dogs. But she tolerates everyone. Pixie will try to show she's the boss and Peanut just walks by and ignores her. She is almost haughty with her disdain.
She is loving, but also content to sleep the day away in her bed. She still loves to go on "walk abouts" if you don't keep your eye on her and make sure she stays home. Usually scouting for food someone may or may not have left unattended on a patio or under a grill. Being as she is mostly deaf now, calling for her really isn't effective. Although, she was always pretty good at the selective hearing thing anyway.
She will sleep anywhere and still has her trusted bed with the heated pad and quilt to curl up in. Most days she is found in her dog bed by the heat vent. I miss the days where we could find her just about anywhere clothes or blankets were piled.
As you can see, Peanut is a lot less round then she used to be. She turns 14 this year. She is mostly blind, virtually deaf and still quick as heck when she doesn't want to have to go outside. I can't catch her - that's for sure. She has only a few teeth left and gets spoiled with a diet of soft food and rice to keep her stomach settled. She also gets her fair share of dropped bits while cooking or eating dinner. Her sense of smell hasn't disappeared and she is always underfoot once cooking starts. She still dances for treats and can sit, but laying down is difficult as she doesn't see (or hear) the commands. I worry that every day may or may not be her last. And sometimes she sleeps so sound that I'm sure I will have to break the bad news to the girls. But we are thankful for every day that Peanut has been a part of our lives and will continue to appreciate each day she is still with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment