o/t: final call

Hi everybody:

 

It is certainly amazing how things go their own way. I had told you that Hapoo had arrived well at her retirement place, enjoyed watching people from the center of the kitchen and making friends with Candy, the two-year-old Hovawart mix. I was relieved the two dogs got on so well together.

Monday morning, I was told, they each received a bit of bread, and both behaved so well. Then they went into the field and enjoyed a great deal of play and later walked through the village. Of course, when others saw Hapoo, they admired her, and how beautiful she looked. At home both dogs got some of the treats I had sent over, they lay beside each other and each had theirs without any jealousy. Hapoo rested well after the wild play, walked through the house to take a look around, had water and lay down again, as always. At night she got too tired, and they thought she might have an upset stomach, so they gave her a warming bottle and covered her with a blanket.

 

At night the man woke up from Hapoo making quiet wimpering noises. He tried to comfort her, but soon her heart stopped beating. Re-animation didn't help.

I was away from work, but I was certainly hit by surprise, when he called later in the afternoon to tell me the news that Hapoo had passed away so suddenly. I was so sure she would enjoy retirement at the new place, but the Royalty as we know her seemed to have other plans. I hadn't noticed any health issue with her, except that on Saturday, as it was her last day at my work, she was very alert and behaved like a young energetic dog on the way back. It really looks like she wanted to be left in peace.

She was burried in the garden, resting on the cushion that had been her place for so long.

When her new owner called to tell me the news, he cried himself. He had consciously decided to adopt a dog whom he could do a real favour. We had talked about the fact that Hapoo was not a puppy anymore and that it was most likely his  task to see to her final rest, and he assured me that he knew, but that it was his mission now to give her the well-deserved pleasure of retirement. I had no doubt he would, and it was sad to see him so sad.

Whenever something like this happens, I can keep my own emotions under controll. But just now I have to admit that it is probably, within the next weeks or months or so, a good thing to be able to close Hapoo's book firmly and with a good feeling, and adopt Quito and her new character and habits without any reservations. I needn't mention that my sweater's sleeves are a little wet, and it still impresses me how Hapoo has always managed to be everybody's favourite, starting with the breeder who had had no plans of letting her be trained as a guide dog, continuing with her trainer, the folks at the dog kennel, and so many other people, whose paths she crossed for longer or just a short moment.

 

Hapoo would probably tell Mr Music Man that it was his fault he has missed the chance to see her, and that it was the tennis men's fault to display a wild tennis ball session on court with her. She is, I believe, probably watching me from somewhere, wondering what on earth I am up to again, and probably also remembering things she and I have done together.

I'd better stop now, before this mail gets too long. Cheers, Chris:-)

o/t: Hapoo off to new adventures

Hi everybody:

 

We have worked on this for about a month, and finally, with the help of one of my customers from work, Hapoo has found a place to really enjoy the rest of her life.

 

We had talked on the phone and even postponed an earlier meeting due to heavy snowfalls in the country, but finally the roads were navigable, and a couple left their home some 500-600 kilometers away from me to arrive around 11:00 am this morning. He is a driving instructor, and she works at a supermarket.

They immediately talked and petted Hapoo, and we had a cup of coffee. Then he decided to take her for a walk and was pleased with the way she behaved on leash. Then we had a fish meal, which even he enjoyed, though not being a great lover of that food. But he said I had prepared it very well, and I must say that I was really pleased with the way it turned out. Mom had told me how to prepare it, and I even managed not to burn the onions. I even had to share the recipe with the wife. They are a great couple. He is very sure of himself, thinks and plans things to make sure they are successfully carried through, and she is the more emotional, the two of us share the same name.

 

The sun was shining, but I had decided to send Hapoo home with them this very day. So I picked up Hapoo's paperwork and vaccination book. And then I packed up a farewell snack package for her,, like every caring long time partner would. Of course, she will share it with her new partner in crime and adventures, a two-year-old Hovawart mix, considderably heavier and taller than her, named Candy.

 

And then it was time to say our quiet goodbyes. Hapoo was expecting no good, she was lying by the balcony in the sun, when I gave her a quick belly rub and encouraged her to get up to be put on leash. then she was taken away fairly quietly after another hug and an attempt to stay here.

 

Of course it was hard, and the place is so quiet, without a single sigh from the Hapoo's corner, but friends helped me, and the sun allowed for an inspection of my balcony flower boxes, where I managed to remove some of the ice.

 

Spring is coming, I have received many phone calls today, and tomorrow night I will have to prove that it is possible to get lost in a small building when there's no Hapoo to show the way to the little staircase I need to find.

Despite my own sadness I am convinced Hapoo will be having a few more years left in good care and leisure. Just like she had her Grandpa to teach her new things in life, she will be another young dog's mentor now. I will overcome the quietness of these rooms, be lazy and hopefully manage to go swimming one of these days, before travelling to meet Quito and get accustomed to her ways of doing things, and working safely as a team with her.

Cheers, Chris (without Hapoo)

The past weeks

Hi everybody:

 

Have I told you that the route to work is very challenging? We can walk the Hapoo route for the most part when I need to do my business, and then we walk to the streetcar tracks. Up, down, up, down we climb to reach the traffic pole, which is located in the middle of a snow pile. I have to step up with my front paws to show it to Chris. Crossing the street is easy, but then the next challenge comes up. The route is not cleared of snow at all, so I have to walk ahead of Chris, the harness handle lying on my back. Usually, when the handle is resting on my back, I have to stand and wait, or sit and wait, or I can lie down and wait, but waiting it is. In this case, however, the path is so narrow, if there's any path at all, that I have to leash guide Chris. I do, though reluctantly looking back at her sometimes. She says I am a marvelous trooper. The next traffic pole is again center of a snow pile. And then we have to step up on a snow bank, wait till we can cross, and then jump, step or slide down to cross the street.  The next footpath is cleared. Chris usually uses that relaxing part of the route to tie her shoes again. They always open when her feet slide - no idea why that is. When the pedestrian walk ends, we cross to the other side in good weather. But since we have no good weather, we have to walk at the left edge of the street close to a snow wall as high as me. I don't like to walk there, I prefer walking in the middle of the street, which Chris forbids under all circumstances. On her right cars pass constantly, and I think if we walked in the middle of the street, they would go away somewhere else. Chris insists they would not, but instead they would run us over.

 

Talking about running over, on one of the very slippery days a car really almost ran us over, because he was going backwards and didn't look. Chris says I was calm, even though I couldn't navigate her into the snow mess. She ran towards the driver's cabin, and he took off like a mad guy when he saw us. She was trembling afterwards.

 

We have to continue in the street until we have reached our entrance gate. Finally the car parking area has been cleared nicely, so we reach the door without problems. In the breaks Chris lets me play in the snow. I toss and toss and snarle and toss some more, run and play, and I have such fun and such a clean fur. Chris brushed me last night and said that my fur is really clean. O yes. I always want snow banks at the side of the street, rain or sun or snow, so I can clean myself without horror baths.

 

One of the past days we met a dog, and she and I snarled a little, even though I was in harness. her owner didn't take her away from us, that was stupid. But she and I weren't injured or so, Chris was only furious at the other owner and a bit annoyed about me. Mom has been with us one weekend to have brunch, and then she once came for a little shopping. And yesterday I saw the boss, but he hadn't brought his dog. He took us home, which Chris was happy about. I think today we will go out somewhere, because she has packed the money into her bag, and I heard that we are expecting visitors at the weekend, if the weather is acceptable and it doesn't snow like there's no tomorrow.

Have a great day everybody and everywoof, Hapoo.