Longlease Bernese Mountain Dogs
In Loving Memory of
CH.N.CH Zanzebern
Nicoletta
aka Suki-lala
March 24th 2006 to March
3rd 2015
B-G
Dog ID = 60335
Forever
loved and missed by
Annie Bell, family and friends.
|
|
November
2007
I look around the house
at all the pictures on the walls and Facebook and think with some
incredulity that there is now only one. Only one Bernese Mountain
Dog in the house where four years ago there had been four. Only one,
because today I assisted Suki-lala or Pie Pie to cross the bridge to
join her father Denzel, Uncle Harry Brat, and Berner brothers Spike,
Gideon and Hunter.
Suki's passing occurred 6.5 weeks after Hunter's. 2015 is
starting out being as shitty as 2014. Suki's passing makes 4 deaths
in my home in the past 14 months.Three Bernese and my father (who's
'year and a day' clicks over this weekend).
Zanzebern Nicoletta aka Pie Pie, Mumma Chick, Mum-ma or Podge
was from Denzel's first Zanzebern litter. She was originally placed
with a family in Sydney with a young child. They found her to be too
boisterous so she returned to Zanzebern. For a time she lived with
Chris Heyes in Melbourne whilst she waited for a Zanzebern puppy.
Suki as a Tweeny living
in Melbourne. Photo by Chris Heyes.
She returned to Zanzebern and Nicole asked if I would take her
and title her …’after which I will find her a forever home’.
At 22 months she arrived home and lay up my body the first evening
in the same way as Harry Brat did. I melted.
The day she came home.
I rang Nik the following day to say ‘Forget finding a
forever home for her; she’s in it.’ Suki was my first
Berner girl. Until then I had no inclination to have a girl in the
house. Suki was to change all that.
I didn’t realise in
the beginning that she looked like Andrea Maderley’sLiia. It
was only when I received her pedigree that I realised that there was
good reason why she looked like Liia from behind! She was family and
I have promised myself to continue Harry Brat’s line in my
home.
Suki attained her
Australian Championship easily because mostly she was the only
Berner girl entered.
She remained part of the
Zanzebern breeding program, producing three litters. Harriette the ‘Orrible
Dog is the first born girl from the first litter. She was the mother
to multi BISS ZaznebernCosi Fan Tutte – a typey girl built like
her mother but on a bigger (Harri-ette sized) frame.
Suki with her first
litter on board with 14 days to go. June 2008. Photo by John
Leonard. /FONT>
After doing her best for the breed, Suki was neutered and gave
Gideon a run for the money to see who would achieve their Neuter
Title the quickest. This was very much the case on the Central
Western circuit in 2011 where points were equally shared between
them at Tullamore and Condoblin.
Her show achievements as a Neuter were winning Best Neuter in Open
Show as an 8yo at the June 2014 BMDCV Specialty and with Harriette –
Best Brace.
Her
greatest achievements were at home. Suki had a beautiful
temperament. She was sweet, funny, naughty all in a small (22 inch
at the shoulder) package. I will miss her walking through my wet
legs the instant I get out of the shower to be my chamois. I’ll
miss her warmth of her bum parked between my shoulder blades during
the winter. Her supervision of my quilting with a leg, tail or bum
touching my feet, gentle reminders to be fed and walked. She was a
good watch dog. She would start barking, stopping when Spike,
Gideon, Harri-ette or Hunter took up the chorus, she’d then
toddle off and watch the action unfold. Until the end she was loyal,
trusting that I would do the right thing for her.
She
was a socialite always up for a pat and cuddle and was shameless in
putting forward her case for rehoming. Her happiness and total joie
de vivre changed my attitude regarding girls.
Since Hunter’s
passing I became sensitive to coughs of all kinds. Suki had a cough.
Initially it was thought to be an upper respiratory infection but
after treatment it returned. Comparison with her first vet visit
with the cough showed that she had lost over 5kg in 5 weeks - she
was losing weight at the rate of 150g a day... I was mentally
challenged to accept that I had to get ready to say goodbye to
another family member. In consultation with the vets I did an
assessment of the options open to me as I feared that she had a mass
in her chest.
Recent weeks has shown that
conclusion to be true and that nothing I did would change the
eventual outcome. Gradually she became reluctant to walk and is now
exercise compromised. The frequency of the coughs and their
intensity has increased. Over the last weekend she has exhibited
weakness in her rear legs and as of yesterday started walking with
her front legs overlapping in order to keep herself upright. She has
also started to accumulate congestion in her belly. Throughout this
time, she has maintained a good appetite.
I couldn’t bear
to watch her to decline to complete incapacity. So the decision to
let her run free and be with ‘da Boyz’ whilst emotionally
difficult was made. I hitched up the trailer, put Harriette and Suki
in their respective compartments (as there would be loud complaints
from You Know Who if SHE was left behind). The vets have been most
understanding and caring.
Next year’s Health
Auction quilt will be extra special as it be in honour of both
Hunter and Suki.
Suki will come home in a
box and reside with Harry, Gideon, Hunter and Spike. ?Suki taught me
that Berner girls have a place in my home and heart and to never
under estimate their power to change perceptions and opinion. Girls
are game changers. Viva Berner girl power!
I’m gutted but I
have Harri-ette to cuddle, kiss, groom, walk and talk with.
In the future, there will
be a Berner girl downline from Suki in this house; and her name is
Kalinda.
Thanks for reading.
Annie (Berner Tragic) in
Wagga Wagga Australia
with Harri-ette the 'orrible dog and Vespar the visitor.
Remembering Harry Brat (22/6/02 - 22/3/08) - heart dog, forever
young;
Special Spike (1/8/05 - 19/10/11) - supreme master of the happy
dance;
Gideon von Wink (13/1/03 - 10/2/14) - my teacher;
Hunter - Man Most Handsome (20/4/07 - 12/1/15)
aand Suki-lala (24/03/06 - 03/03/15 - the game changer.
The
Harry Brat Shining Knight Award
*Next
Angel*
*Samson's
Story *My Gang
*Sunny,Simmy,Barney,Pixie,Herb,Ida
*Friend's Gallery
*In Loving Memory*
*Histio Roll Call
*Berner Veterans *Bernese
Art *Berner Fun Stuff
*Berner Articles & Info*
*Berner
Shop *Longlease Links.
*Humour.
*Guestbook.
*Berner Fundraisers
*LostandFound
*Rescue*
*Recent
Updates*
*Longlease Bernese Mountain Dogs Home
Page* |
|
|
