Rest in Peace my Sweet Girl
Maddie unexpectedly crossed the rainbow bridge today at 2:45pm. I am heartbroken. She and I had a plan that she was going to live until 18. She was 14.5 years old - would have been 15 in September.
What everyone would say about Maddie was, "She is so sweet." That little black girl was amazing. She stole my heart from the moment I saw her. She and Rocky grew up together. Excellent at ignoring what she didn't want and effortless at rewarding what she wanted, Maddie generally got what she wanted whether it was food from Dad at the table, or in my office to lay at my feet when I had the gate up keeping the dogs out of my office so I could work.
Every pet sitter said the same thing. Love all your dogs...love Maddie the most.
There was this time. Kel and I were sitting in the living room watching TV. Rocky was chewing on a bully stick and Maddie walked in. She saw Rocky chewing on the stick and walked away. On her return I saw that she had a toy in her mouth. She tossed the toy in the air, bounced on it, tossed it, pushed and chased it. She made that toy look so much fun. She continued to play with that toy and Rocky couldn't stand it, left the bully and ran over to play with the toy also. Happily he snatched it from her and started playing with it. Maddie calmly walked over, picked up the bully, and chewed to her hearts delight. The look on Rocky's face as he saw what she was doing was priceless. He dropped the toy, lay down and watched her chew. Awesome.
No matter how many dogs came into this house, Maddie was always my baby. She loved this house and garden. She'd loved eating my tomatoes off the vine...often before they were ripe. Apples and Apricots were also favorites of hers. She would figure out how to get through the back fence into my garden and I'd go back there and find half eaten tomatoes all over. I would laugh. She was just being Mads.
She put up with all my crazy ideas, and still did everything in her own way.
Maddie did a little agility. Like everything, Maddie decided when she would do agility and when she wouldn't. Finally retiring her when it was clear she had physical issues and couldn't play anymore, she was still my clicker tricks dog and learned many many things.
The hole she has left is deep and wide.
I will get over this sadness. Already Fin has been bothering me to go outside and play. Tazz, recovering from minor surgery has been cuddling me and asking me to scratch his back. Olive will be back on Sunday and my days will be full of puppies. I'll get busy picking up poo and making sure the puppies are not getting in trouble (of course they will) and life will get busy. But nights sitting watching the TV, having to get up to help Maddie into the chair...those little moments that were all Mads will be the remembrances that will ache. Every single tree in my back yard has bite marks from Maddie chasing squirrels. The walls have marks from her rubbing her body on them. Her bed has an impression from last she lay in it. She certainly was a one in a million dog and I am so lucky to have shared nearly 15 years with my little Madeline.
