Pippin was a sweet and the smallest of my Dobermann. I adopted her from the Miami Dade animal shelter in 2003. She was part of my family for twelve years and passed away on this day, February 24, in 2015. She was 12 years old then, so she would have been 16 years old today had I been so lucky to have her still.
I post my dogs birthdays in my Google calendar so I’m emailed reminders. Most birthdays I have to estimate due to unknown backgrounds. I have all rescue dogs. I also post their passing, which is Pippin’s day today. When I get a notification, it’s a time when I light a candle in memory of all the great days I spent with my dogs who are no longer with me, but I won’t ever forget. I can get a little weepy thinking about them, not that they made me sad, what makes me sad is not getting to have any more time with them.
Moreso, though, I spend time remembering my dogs personalities and antics. What made each one distinct and lovable. In Pippin’s case, she was a dynamo and very eager to learn when we did dog training games together. Her downfall, though, was tragic. She was in the shelter and I noticed she had a huge front elbow. I thought maybe it was swollen and with some veterinarian care, could be mended. But what had happened was her leg had been broken and never tended to. The veterinarian I took her to sent out the x-rays to a specialist who said at that point, it was too late to repair, so Pippin did the best she could with that elbow.
When she laid on the bed, she’d cover the injured elbow with the paw from her good front leg to protect herself. She was very careful with it. But that didn’t stop us from entering an AKC trial and teaming up to earn a Rally Novice title in 3 runs in a 3-trial show one weekend.
I protected her leg, too, and put her in a crate on wheels, as it was a trial on huge showgrounds, so I put her in the crate and rolled her in and out. She objected, going in, but coming out was another story, and she was tired, so appreciated the ride. Had it not been for the previously injured leg, we would have done more, but dog shows were a mere pittance of the way we spent time together.
She also loved to play with the other dogs and get into mischief. One weekend, I’d grilled a whole package of chicken thighs from Costco. I’d put them in a stainless steel bowl in the sink, while I went outside to clean up. By the time I came inside, I’d found 2/3 of the thighs, bones and all, had vanished. Pippin had the big belly and chicken on her breath. Even with that wretched elbow of hers, she could accomplish any mission she set out to complete.
There were many more Pippin antics and adventures we shared, and one of the funniest things about her was when she got busted and I caught her in the act of naughtiness, she would smile so big and snort so loudly, the only thing I could do was laugh.
So today I light an all-day candle I glittered up in Pippin pink in her honor, and everytime I glance at it, I’m apt to think of another of the many moments we shared while we had such precious little time together. Small ceremonies like this remind us to enjoy the days we have with our dogs, even the tough ones, because one day we won’t get a chance at another one. Let’s be kind to our dogs, train them humanely, and forgive their shortfalls. They’re trying their best to fit into our world.
To send your dog to the Love Wags A Tail board-and-train camp for motivational learning with our cast of characters, contact us with your dog training, behavior modification wish list to get started.
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
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Certified in Training and Counseling
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
AKC STAR Puppy, CGC, and Trick Dog Trainer and Evaluator
Your Board-and-Train Dog Trainer for south and southwest Florida, Southwest Ranches, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Broward, Collier, Lee county
