Losing My Best Friend

Today is a really sad day - my beloved dog Abby is being put to sleep. She is 13, so has lived a long and happy life, and I know it's time for her to go, but that doesn't make it much easier. She has a brain tumor, and has been having regular seizures for six months - it's now gotten to the point where her medication is so high that she spends most of her time sleeping, and has lost quite a bit of use of her back legs.

But she's still adorrrrable!

I thought I'd write a little post of all my favourite memories of my lovely girl - we are all going to miss her so damn much.

Hallow-Abby

When Abby was a puppy, we got her from a farm in Star, Idaho - Jason and I had always wanted a dog, so were just too excited. We knew she was ours right away - she was sweet, shy, and had these beautiful golden and brown stripes down her coat. The people who lived on the farm called her Tiger, but we changed it to Abby. We almost took home her brother as well, but it's a good thing we didn't - she was enough to handle on her own! She peed on Mum's lap on the way to our house.

At Christmas one year, Jason made a gingerbread house in school. We stopped to go to the shops on the way home, and when we got out of our mini-van, Abby was in her usual pride of place in the front seat (she permanently called shotgun, and wouldn't let Jason or I kick her out of it!). Upon our return, she was in the same place - it wasn't until we got home and opened the back to learn Abby had climbed over two sets of bench seats to devour every last bit of it, and made her way back to the front no problem!

Another year, Jason had gotten Dad these really expensive chocolates for Christmas, and put them under the tree. As we opened the last present of the year, Jason realised it wasn't there! We searched high and low, and found it wet in the garden, covered in slobber. Jason was SO mad at her - but it was very funny, especially as she hadn't actually eaten it yet!

She loves food as much as I do!

And DC - lady after my own heart!

Abby can be such a wuss at times - she's always been scared of cats, she'd bark at them until they came near, then the hair on her back would go up - as if she was a cat herself! She'd have the most ferocious of barks when someone came to the door, but when it was opened she couldn't wait to greet the new person. Of course, she was deathly afraid of the vacuum, fireworks, and thunderstorms, and would hide in a bathroom until each of those events were over.

But when it really counted, she was so brave. On a hike in the mountains she jumped over a log and managed to slice through her belly - layers of skin and bloody bits were hanging out, but that dog got herself the whole way down the mountain so we could take her to the emergency vet, with barely a whimper - she just got on with it. She was too heavy for us to carry, so we are glad she did!

In her old age, she's become so hilariously stubborn, though still so loving. For the last few years, when mum takes her on walks, they've become more like 'sniff and lie down's - she stops every 10 meters to sniff around, take a roll in the grass, watch a neighbour, while poor mum has to awkwardly stop and wait for her! She isn't moving for anybody.

John Lennon, reincarnated? 'Peace, man'

When Sarah and I were home a few years ago, we were taking Abby out, and had a huge argument - Sarah went one way, I went the other, and Abby just... sat. She refused to go with either one of us until we made up, and walked the same way. Even when we stormed off together, that wasn't enough - she's a peacemaker!

Keeping couples together since 2000

Thank you my old Flabby Abby Dabby (aka Yoda) for a fantastic 13 years, for cuddles, walks, countless laughs, shared ice cream/hot chocolate/yoghurts, and for being the most adorable part of the Smith family.

What a poser.

We will miss you so much.