Memorials ... page 2

Meise (I don't know why, but I liked that name, other than it means 'titmouse' in German) was the only fully black puppy I ever had in a litter. She was from Sieg and Cali's litter. I asked Cali while pregnant, if she had a black puppy in there for me. Then I would make her head nod. Darned if I ought to do that for every litter! Meise was a very dedicated girl. She was devoted, protective and obedient to the hilt! She LOVED to carry things. It didn't matter what. She would carry my keys, or my purse (vet has a pic of that), or Packchen's crate with him in it. She never would drop anything. She retrieved eggs from the chicken yard for 4 years before she dropped one. She was shocked! She tried to pick it up but couldn't. She learned then what was inside an egg. I never could get her to bring an egg again. She would take it and run off and eat it! You know that old saying about egg-sucking dogs...yup, it's true. I should not have neglected her as I did. I had to go to Turkey for about a year and left her and Packchen in the care of a coworker. I came home to find a very FAT Dane whose nails had not been trimmed. She couldn't get up to greet me. I cried so much and vowed never to leave my dogs with anyone else again. She died of spinal degenerative disease after having recovered from a stroke at 11 3/4 years.

I aquired Packchen after Meise's mom and dad died and left her the only dog in the home. She was very distraught. She had never been alone before and she mourned terribly. Packchen gave her a reason to live again and was her 'baby' she never had. Packchen, having been raised by her, was a very laid back kinda guy. He protected her as she did him. She carried him around in his crate or by his leash. I would walk her and she would walk him. He was my first dog to really try in the breed ring. He scored highly in the obedience ring. But I never went past the CD as he HATED to retrieve. The ONLY thing I could get him to bring to me was a toilet paper cardboard roll! After we got Puppie, she would play too roughly and one day she squashed him with her foot planted squarely in his back. He was in a body cast for 6 weeks. When it was removed, Puppie tried the same thing. I asked a friend to care for him while he had been in the cast (they had no animals & hubby didn't care for dogs anyway). When I got him back from her she said if I ever needed help with him again, to please ask. Her husband loved him, took him everywhere. Well, guess who he lived with till the day he died? He was 13 years old when he could no longer tolerate the pain in his back.

Siv was a sweet boy. I got him when Meise was aged and I was afraid to be without a Dane. It was a spur of the moment thing as I was going to view a litter for a friend. Hence his name. He didn't much care for obedience, though and only squeaked by on his CD. When I went to Turkey for a year, he was only 2 years old and I decided to place him in a permanent home, rather than leave him with some stranger for that time. The family I placed him with adored him. I met him once much later in life and he was a happy boy. They since moved to Alaska and have not kept in touch with me. I don't know when he died.