Our Sad News

Tomorrow we're going to put our dog LuLu down. Actually her name is Stinkerdoodle. Guy couldn't say Stinkerdoodle so as a baby he called her Lulu and it stuck. It's a much better name for her. She's a wirehaired mini-dachshund. She's the smartest of our three dogs. She loves raw hide chews and has the softest ears. Lulu has been plagued with back pain for the last year or so. It's so bad now she pretty much cries in pain anytime she tries to walk. She also has a level four heart murmur whatever that means. So it's time.

Lulu was the third dog to join our family. She's almost 10 years old. I picked her up on my way home from Dallas. She was an impulse buy. I had been visiting a friend and she was reading the want ads and there was an ad that said "wirehaired dachshunds." I called the lady and asked how much they were. They were $300. Which was WAY more than I had intended to spend.... So I called Bryan and told him I was thinking about getting another dog. I don't think he really believed me because he was a wee bit shocked when I walked in the door with her. Course he asked me how much she was and I immediately said $150. Yep, I lied. I used cash for half so he wouldn't know how much I spent. We were newly married and like all good wives I had learned how to shop! (It was years later when I confessed during a game of Truth or Dare! I was required him to tell the truth about something I lied about). Anyway, Lulu was about 6 months old when we got her. She wasn't very socialized so she didn't really like us. Our other dogs she was fine around but she'd run away from us initially. That was until she figured out we had awesome people food and if you look cute we'll share. ;) Lulu next discovered she liked to be inside and that she loved the bed. She has always been her own dog though. She has no problems being outside by herself. Our other dogs don't like to go outside without each other.

Lulu had this funny thing she'd do with our other dogs. All three would get a rawhide chew. She'd eat hers almost immediately. The other two dogs would chew leisurely. Course they all would growl at each other if the other got too close. Lulu use to bark to go outside. She'd dance around and act like there was something good out there to chase like squirrels. The other dogs would of course leave their rawhide and they'd all go outside. The other two would go out into the grass... Lulu would never leave the deck. She'd stand at the door to be the first one in. As soon as we'd open the door she'd run and grab the other dogs chew treats. LOL She'd do it ALL the time and Ginger and Jerry never figured out that was her trick.

So our family will miss her very much. We do love our pets. They are definitely part of our family. But I know that this really is best. She's been in pain for long enough so we're making the right choice. I just wish it wasn't so hard! Pets should live longer lives. It just doesn't seem fair.

** Lulu is gone now **
Bryan and I went home about 11:00 am. We hung out with Lulu feed her chicken, cheese and cookies some of her favorites. We talked to her and petted her. We headed to my in-laws at 12:30 and sat outside their front yard and waited for the Vet. It was shady under the pecan trees and there was a gentle wind. The grass danced around her as she sat and ate rotten pecans - another favorite. We saw a squirrel on the ground and it ran up the tree and watched us. Lulu hardly noticed. In her time she would have been barking and chasing that squirrel. Rotten pecans were far more interesting. Mark showed up at 1:00 and administered the shot. It was so quick. She just stopped breathing. Her eyes glazed over. She went peacefully and Bryan and I sat there and cried. I kept hearing Bryan talking to her and in my head I was telling her she was a good girl. I don't think I could actually get the words out though. Mark listened to her heart and told us she was gone. We sat there just looking at her. It was so fast. We wrapped her one of Bryan's favorite tshirts. He picked this green one that was soft. He said that he picked it because it was soft like her ears. She really did have velvet soft ears. We then wrapped her in a yellow towel and carried her to our family pet cemetery. We buried her next to "Tootie" another one of our beloved dogs. I picked some sun flowers from the fence line and we laid them on her grave. Rest in peace my sweet baby. You will be missed.