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If you want something different for Easter fun, try an Easter egg hunt for dogs.  It’s simple and affordable, not to mention a lot of fun for everyone.

Ingredients

Plastic eggs

Your dog’s favorite treat

A nice big safe area to hide the eggs

Directions

An Easter egg hunt for dogs is a simple and fun activity.  The kids will enjoy it too.  Actually, the dogs and kids could have a contest to see who finds the most eggs.

All you have to do is open the colorful plastic eggs and stuff them with one or two of your dog’s favorite treats.  Not too many because you don’t want him to overeat.  And don’t put candy inside because it might not be safe for your dog to eat.

Filling the eggs should take only a few minutes and you could even do it a day or so ahead of time if you use treats that won’t spoil.  If you want to use fresh food, it is best to make them right before the Easter egg hunt starts.  And be sure the kids, especially if they’re really young, understand that what’s inside the egg is for the pup only.  There can be some special treats waiting for them at the end when they turn in their stash.

Then show a filled egg to your dog and let him know there is a treat inside so he will know what he’s looking for.

Then stow the dogs and kids away somewhere safe and out of site while you hide the eggs.

Now all you have to do is turn them loose and let the fun begin.  It’s brain training for the dog and good exercise for him as well as all the humans involved and a fun activity for the whole family.

It’s long been known that people decline cognitively as they age. At least unless they are mindful of their cognitive health. But what about dogs?  Does their cognitive health decline in the same way?  And what can you do about keeping your dog’s brain healthy?

Studies have shown that dogs, like humans, experience a slowing of their cognitive processes as they age. Owners start seeing things like toileting accidents in the house, confusion in a familiar environment, increased irritability and greater intolerance for humans.  They may sleep more and be less active in general.

But you don’t have to accept this as the new norm.  Instead, pay attention to your dog’s cognitive health just as you do his physical health.

Here are a few things you and your dog can do together to keep your dog’s brain healthy.  It will benefit you both.

1. Participate in sports together. – Now that doesn’t mean you both should try out for the senior citizens softball team. Instead, focus on some type of dog sport like agility, rally, obedience, barn hunt.  You can learn more about these activities and where you can find them at akc.org.
2. Let your dog work a puzzle. – No, not a zigsaw puzzle. There are lots of puzzles made just for dogs and they come in different levels of difficulty. Some of them have food hidden inside and really give the dog’s brain a good workout.
3. Let your dog use his natural instincts. – One more formal method of doing this is to train him in tracking or search and rescue. Or you could train him in scent discrimination. But you don’t have to make it that difficult.  Just hide some food and let him find it.  His reward will be the treat.
4. Give your dog regular exercise. – This is probably the easiest of all. And it will benefit your cognitive and physical health as well.  Take a walk around the block.  You never know what you might see.

There’s nothing easy about cancer treatment.  But studies have shown that having a dog around can help – at least on the emotional side of things. That’s right.  Dogs help people with cancer treatment.

A 2015 study of patients with head and neck cancers was among the first to scientifically test the effects of therapy to ease human anxiety.

“We can take for granted that supportive care for cancer patients, like a healthy diet, has benefits,” said Dr. Stewart Fleishman, the lead researcher on the 2015 study. “We wanted to really test animal-assisted therapy and quantify the effects.”

Fleishman, now retired, was founding director of cancer supportive services at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

The researchers followed 42 patients who were undergoing six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation for head and neck cancers, mostly affecting the mouth and throat to find out if dogs help people with cancer treatment.

All of the patients agreed to have visits with a therapy dog right before each of their treatment sessions. The dogs, trained by the Good Dog Foundation, were brought to the waiting room, or hospital room, so patients could spend about 15 minutes with them.

The chemo/radiation regimen in this study was “intense,” Fleishman said. “These patients get very sick. They can’t eat well, they have trouble speaking. The treatment becomes more of a   burden than the cancer.”

Using standard questionnaires to determine how patients were feeling, Fleishman’s team found that patients’ physical well-being deteriorated over the course of their treatment. But their emotional and “social” well-being actually increased.

Fleishman noted that one patient had commented he would’ve stopped the treatment but wanted to come see the dog. “I think patients can take heart,” he said. “There are interventions that can make the quality of that time better.”

Did you know that hugging your dog might help keep your brain healthy?

Researchers have long said that having a pet helps decrease depression, pain and can help provide a sense of purpose to those who are feeling dejected.

Now, a new study suggests that having a pet is even healthier for senior citizens that we previously thought.  Researchers at the University of Michigan linked long-term pet ownership to a delayed aging of the brain in people over the age of 65.   They plan to release the study at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Seattle later this month.

Dr. Tiffany Braley, MD, who oversaw the study said, “Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress. Our results suggest pet ownership may also be protective against cognitive decline.”

The researchers used data from the Health and Retirement Study and examined 1369 Medicare beneficiaries by studying cognitive data obtained from older adults with an average age of 65 years who had normal cognitive abilities at the start of the study. Over 700 people in the study owned pets and more than 400 were long-term pet owners who had owned their pets for five or more years.

Cognitive function was measured through different tests including number counting, subtraction problems and word recall. Cognitive scores ranged from 0 to 27. During the six years of the study, cognitive scores decreased at a slower rate in pet owners.  This was especially evident in those who fell in the long-term pet owner category.  They showed a score of 1.2 points higher than that of non-pet owners on average.

Did you know weather can affect your dog

Have you ever had a dog that is afraid of thunderstorm? Or became depressed during the long nights of winter? Or maybe they stopped eating during the hot summer months. Maybe you should think about the weather can affect your dog.

That really isn’t unusual. All sorts of weather can affect your dog

Thunderstorms, heat and even changes in barometric pressure can have a definite impact on a dog’s behavior.

Thunderstorms, often called a phobia or anxiety,  are a fairly common problem weather phenomenon that can affect dogs. If a thunderstorm is brewing, they often become extremely frantic and overwhelmed with fear. Many times the dog will know the thunderstorm is headed their way long before their owner knows about it. If you see your dog acting strangely, remember weather can affect your dog.

Many dogs are afraid of thunder because they don’t understand what it is. They hear a loud noise and perceive it as something threatening.  Sometimes they try to go under tables, get in bathtubs, or other places that make them feel secure. If that’s what makes them feel better, It’s ok to let them to do it.

Even though it may feel like the right thing to do, it’s important not to try to soothe the dog too much. This can encourage his fear if he senses any insecurity in your voice.

During a thunderstorm, try to provide a background noise, such as TV or radio. Sometimes this helps drown out the sound of the thunder. Try to get your dog’s mind off the storm by playing with him.

If his fear is really bad, a dog may require sedation during a storm. Consult your veterinarian so that they can prescribe something to calm your dog. If is hasn’t been prescribed specifically for your dog, it could be harmful.

Signs of thunderstorm phobia include panting, whimpering or barking, and hiding. According to a study conducted by Penn State University researchers, some dogs experience a rapid increase of a stress hormone called cortisol during thunderstorms. When researchers tested the saliva of thunder-phobic dogs, they found the production of cortisol to be 200 percent higher than that of dogs who aren’t afraid of thunder.

Thunderstorms aren’t the only weather that can have an effect on dogs. Wind, heat, gray skies, lightening and a change in barometric pressure all can all affect a dog’s behavior and mood. And some dogs, like people, can have their own unique quirks when it comes to reacting to weather.

Some dogs don’t mind the dark winter months while others can appear depressed and lethargic. The same is true of other weather phenomena

Changes in barometric pressure can affect dogs’ behavior significantly, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. Dogs might become agitated or he might become overexcited and curious, ready to pick up scents in the air and go exploring. If you’ve ever seen your dog sniffing the air as a storm approaches, he might be monitoring incoming weather change. As pressure in the air gets lower and the way odors travel changes. your dog can notice these changes when you can’t.

Dogs are more perceptive to changes in the weather than people. They feel changes in the static electric field that occurs in the air, especially as a strong storm approaches. That’s why they know a storm is coming before you do.

Hot weather also can affect your dog’s behavior. For example, some dogs eat less and become less active when it’s hot. They prefer to lie down on cool tile or near a source of airflow. Some dogs, just like people, get cranky and unwilling to go for walks or do any exercise when the temperature is high.

 Dogs can even get the “Winter Blues” Also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), this is a form of depression that occurs during months when sunshine is scarce and daytime light levels are low. In humans, SAD symptoms include listlessness, depression, lack of interest in social activities, and fatigue. The PDSA (The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) found that about 40% of dog parents noticed significant changes in their pet’s moods during dark winter months. Dogs also were reported to have slept longer and their general activities levels were lower during winter months.

Researchers speculate that these changes are caused by the effect that light has on melatonin–a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. The major effects of melatonin include causing a person to relax and get sleepy and lethargic. The pineal gland produces and secretes melatonin in darkness—and stops when light hits the retina. So, during the winter more melatonin is produced. This probably causes the classic SAD symptoms in both humans and canines.

Dog meets baby.  That sounds fun.

We’re gonna have some babies at our house.

Not people babies, thank goodness.  But puppy babies.

I love puppies.  People babies I’m not so sure of.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.

But some of my friends have babies at their houses.  And they remember the dog meets baby experience. It was an interesting experience when those tiny little people came into their world.  They thought their lives were going to really change.  And in some respects, they did.  But it wasn’t so bad because the adult people in the house prepared for the little ones’ arrivals.

If you’re going to get a little human in your home, your people parents should think ahead and prepare for when dog meets baby.  Here’s some things you can suggest to them. Things aren’t always as straight forward when a baby come home as you might think.

First of all, you need to tell them to think about how having that little person around is going to change their daily routing – and yours. After all, you were there first But, you don’t want anything to happen either.  You aren’t sitting around planning the date when you will bite the little creature.

Besides, dogs biting babies isn’t as common as people might think. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dog bites requiring medical treatment in infants could be as low as 0.04%.   That’s not much, but it still happens sometimes. The Journal of the American Medical Association says dog bites are the second-most common reason for children being taken to the emergency room.  But it’s usually not babies that have to go.  It’s boys between five and nine years old.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean dogs and babies can’t live together peacefully. Dogs bring a lot of happiness to people’s lives and there isn’t any reason babies shouldn’t share in that happiness.

Actually, babies can fall in love with their canine family members quite quickly. Studies have shown that young children show a preference for a live dog over a stuffed animal by the age of one year.

Preparing for dog to meet baby

Take it one step at a time.

Step 1: Start to prepare your dog for the arrival of a baby several months before the baby is born.

Start out by providing the dog a quiet place to get away from the baby.  Introduce him to it ahead of time so he doesn’t have to experience a sudden change in his routine and feel the baby is the reason.

Get him used to different noise levels and to being touched all over his body at different times during his daily routine.  Like when he’s eating or sleeping.

Let him get used to the different smells that are going to become a common occurrence in his life.  Let him smell the clothes, soap, lotion the baby will be using.  Give him a chance to check out the new furniture that will become a part of his life.  The crib, changing table.

Give him an opportunity to get used to you paying attention to something besides him.  Let a doll or stuffed animal substitute for the baby during this phase of training. Let him meet some children.  Take him to a playground or to visit someone you know who has kids, especially little ones, if he hasn’t ever had the opportunity to be around them.

Dog and Baby Finally Meet

Step 2: Now it’s time for dog and baby to meet

Introduce the dog to the scent of the baby before you introduce him to the actual child. Give him an opportunity to small a blanket or article of clothing that has been near the baby.   Leave it there for him to sniff as much as he wants.  This will help him get used to and accept that new scent in his life.

When you and baby get home, sit on the floor with the dog while you are holding the baby, but be sure another person is close by just in case something unexpected happens.

Let the dog sniff and lick the baby. As long as he’s doing it gently and peacefully, praise him.  Let him know what he is doing is a good thing. Then stand up, hand the baby to his other parent and really pour the praise on your dog.  Hug him and snuggle with him.  Then repeat this little routine several times during the next few days.  By then he will start to associate the baby’s presence with good things.

During the early days of having dog and baby together, it’s important that you don’t punish him or yell at him around the baby.  You don’t want him to associate the baby with bad things happening to him.

Hopefully, by now, your dog and baby are getting along great.  But don’t take anything for granted.  Don’t leave them alone together.  Anything can happen and you haven’t tested every possible scenario that could occur between baby and dog.

Ongoing Training

Phase 3: Ongoing education for dog and child

As your child grows and learns to crawl and then walk, it’s important that you don’t stop training the dog and child to get along. Now, a lot of the training will be aimed at the child, not the dog.

Children need to learn not to try to play with the dog when he is eating or to try to take something out of his mouth.  They shouldn’t pull on is tail and ears or his hair. If a dog is startled or hurt, he is much more likely to bite.

A surprised or hurt animal is an animal that will potentially bite.

One of the main things to remember when bringing a child into a home where a dog has been living is that you should never neglect the dog.  Remember, he was there first. Give him the same attention you gave him before and maintain his routine as best as possible.  Remember, a happy dog is a loyal dog and will become your child’s best friend.

One day not too long ago, my mom came home with this little box containing two cotton swabs. They looked like they had something to do with genetic testing.  When she called me over with them in her hand, I began to get a little concerned.  She was about to do something so me and I wasn’t sure I was going to be too happy about it.

But I went to her like I knew I should.  She helped me open my mouth, stuck one of those swabs in my mouth.  They were scratchy.  She twirled one inside my cheek and then took the other swab and did the same thing to the other cheek.  I just looked at her questioningly.

“We’re getting DNA for testing,” she explained.  Well, I’m a dog and I don’t know what all that means. But if it was important to her, I knew it must be important for me.  So I didn’t complain.  She packed up the swabs in a box and put them in the mail.  Then we waited.

What I learned later was that my mom wanted me tested for VDEGS.  That means Van den ende-Gupta Syndrome, It’s something that can happen to wire fox terriers if their genes aren’t right.  It can happen to people too.

A  Terrible Genetic Disorder

According to Animallabs.com, VDEGS is a genetic disorder that affects wire fox terriers.  Dogs that have it have a prominent underbite and a  short maxilla.  That’s the upper jaw bone.  The caudodorsal border of the maxilla is slightly convex.  That means the border near the back of the upper jaw bone. Puppies have elbow luxation (bone separated from the joint) on both sides and secondary ossification centers occur.  Ossification is the natural process of bone formation.  Secondary ossification is bone formation that happens after the initial formation.

The mid-thoracic spine is thinner, longer and more horizontally aligned. In affected dogs, the mid-section of the femoral bones bow.  Their eyes look smaller and the sclera (white of the eye) is thinner. Because of maxillary hypoplasia (underdevelopment), the nose is distinctive.  Bones of the feet are slender.  Knee joints often are swollen and patellar (knee cap) luxation is present. Nasal septum is deviated to the left.

VDEGS is caused by a mutation of the SCARF2 gene in wire fox terriers and in humans.  The SCARF2 gene is the scavenger receptor class F member 2 gene.   That means they are genes that give instructions to protein to do whatever they are supposed to do in your body.  The result is that some genes are shorter than they are supposed to be.

Now, we’re getting a little too complicated here and, if I’m not careful, not only will you now know what I’m talking about.  Neither will I.

VDEGS is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern in dogs.  For a puppy to be affected (have VDEGS) both parents have to be carriers of the mutated SCARF2 gene.  But, if two carriers are mated, it isn’t a guarantee that all the puppies in the litter will have VDEGS.  Each puppy will have a 25 percent chance of having VDEGS. Each will have a 50 percent chance of being an unaffected carrier and each will have a 25 percent chance of being neither affected or a carrier.  In the latter case, they would be considered clear.

If a carrier and a clear dog are bred to each other, worst case scenario is that some of the puppies could be carriers and some could be clear.  You just have to see how the genes shake out in the end.  If both parents are clear, then so are the offspring.

In order to find out “how the genes shake out,” DNA testing is necessary.  That’s what my mom was doing to me.

Now, the interesting thing is that people can get VDEGS too.  But it rarely happens, thank goodness.  Babies with VDEGS also have maxillary hyperplasia, a beaked-looking nose, underdeveloped eyelids, bent fingers and a cleft palate, among other things.

We’re not going to get into the history of dogs as a species here, but we do need to mention that most of the breeds of purebred dogs are no more than 200 years old. That isn’t very long when compared to how long the human species has been evolving.

What we see in dogs today is largely a result of selection driven by dog breeders who like certain features of their breed. Registering bodies like AKC and the breeding standards they have published, has led to controlled and restricted breeding practices. Many breeds have come from a limited number of founder animals and the use of popular sires is common. This has resulted in each breed representing an isolated breeding population with reduced genetic diversity and enrichment of breed-specific disorders.

How Dogs Help Scientists Study Human Genetic Disorders

The canine genome has been sequenced just like the human one and scientists have found it to be less divergent from the human genome that the mouse genome, which often is used in studies. This is where we wire fox terriers have become heroes. Move over mice and let the real superheroes take their rightful place on the stage.

Because it is less divergent, more of the human genomic sequence can be  aligned to the genome of the dog than that of the mouse. Dogs have approximately the same number of genes as humans, most of them being close despite the fact they are from different species.

Furthermore, dogs are a large animal model and physiologically and clinically more similar to human than the mouse. Pet dogs share the environmental conditions of their owners and are not only affected by genetic traits but also by “life style.” Many spontaneously occurring common canine conditions are like human diseases such as diabetes, cancers, epilepsies, eye diseases and autoimmune diseases.

A lot of genealogical data also is available for us dogs.  You know all those pedigrees you people keep.  That’s what I’m talking about. These can help in designing genetic studies. There is a giant bank of information on more than 300 breeds in Finland.  Using all this information and the other tools available to scientists, they have made several new gene discoveries in dogs and some of these include developmental disorders that model human pediatric disorders.

One is VDEGS. At the time this research was done, only 30 children with VEDGS had been identified.  But that’s 30 too many.

Human and canine VDEGS patients share many characteristics, as we’ve already listed. Therefore when  SCARF2 was discovered and established a canine diagnosis, it also established a model for human VDEGS. The mouse model didn’t work and there were, thankfully, too few humans for study, this discovery was a major breakthrough. Additionally, some VDEGS dogs live to be 10 or more years old.  This means they could serve as preclinical models for further study.

There’s a lot still to be learned about this horrible VDEGS thing, but thanks to us wire fox terriers, we’ve got a good start.

Genetic Testing for Dogs

So now, back to my cheek swabbing.

My mom sent the test off to something called Wisdom Panel and they sent her back a report.  All my canine family got theirs done too. We learned that I am a carrier.  My half brother and two of my nieces are clear.  My best friend (and cousin) has one daughter that is clear and one that is a carrier.

What this means to us is that our mom has to be careful.  She had to do her research when she is preparing to do a breeding.  I’m not going to be breeding with anyone, because I kind of like the bachelor life even though I do have a best friend who is a girl.

But, if one of our carrier girls is going to get bred, my mom has to be sure the father she chooses is clear.  Doing otherwise would be irresponsible. And that is one thing a breeder should never be.

If you want to get your dog tested, check Wisdom Panel’s website at wisdompanel.com. The test will tell you about more than 200 different genetic thing, even what breed your dog is if you don’t already know.

And don’t forget, if you like to read and you like wire fox terriers, run over to Kindle and grab Murder at Ring 5 – A Mathias Dog Show Mystery.  If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can borrow it for free.  If not, it will cost you only $2.99.

It’s always sad when you lose a friend. Well, that happened to me just last night when my friend Sarah Jane crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

It was unexpected and we weren’t at all prepared. You see, Sarah Jane came to live with us from a shelter long before I was born. She and her sister were there together and they came to our house together.   One was named Sarah and the other was Jane. Those two girls looked just alike and they did everything together. Eventually, both became known as Sarah Jane.

Last night, when Sarah Jane 2 left us, her sister became very sad. So did I, but not like her sister. She had just lost her constant companion.

So that got me thinking. Do dogs grieve when they lose a friend and how do we dogs deal with grief. I started doing a little research and wanted to share it with you so you can help your dog if he ever has to suffer through something like this.

As part of my research, I found an article by Barbara J. King, professor emerita of anthropology at College of William and Mary. It was published in the May 2017 issue of Scientific American. In this article, Dr. King discussed behavioral changes in dogs after the death of their canine friend.

“After a dog dies, another dog in the household may show social withdrawal. He may fail to eat or drink, he may search for his lost companion, or exhibit vocalizations that show he is stressed.”

That’s sort of what happened to the Sarah Jane left behind. All she did the next day was sleep in the chair where her sister always sat. She didn’t eat any of her dinner the night before.

We don’t really know how well dogs understand the concept of death. But they do know their friend is no longer around.

To help me understand what Sarah Jane was experiencing, I looked up some symptoms of grief in dogs. Let me share them with you.

• Withdrawal from people and other pets.
• A lack of appetite.
• Lethargic behavior and sleeping more than usual.
• Unusually aggressive or destructive behaviors.
• Inappropriate elimination within the home.
• Calling out or vocalizing in an unusual way for the dog who has passed away.
• Searching for the companion dog within the home and other places frequented by the other dog.
• Becoming very clingy to the owner and following the owner around.

If you have lost a pet and another dog in your household is exhibiting some of these behaviors, pay close attention. Certainly don’t punish them for these unusual behaviors. Be there for them and give them time to work things out on their own.

An article published in the November 2016 issue of Animals addressed how long grief lasts in dogs. The author, Dr. Jennifer Coates, a veterinarian, says the dog’s behavior usually returns to normal in two to six months. But like humans, all dogs do things in their own time.

Now we have to ask how humans can help us dogs get through our grief.

Dr. Marc Beckoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Bolder, says to allow your dog to grieve and have some time alone if he wants it. “Be sure he gets plenty of exercise and observe him when he eats to be sure he is gets the necessary nutrition to stay healthy.

Dr. Mary Burch, a certified applied animal behaviorist, says that one solution to helping a dog deal with grief is to get him another animal companion. “No one we love can be replaced, but if the dogs ran and played together or spent time together while the owner was at work, another dog may help.”

All the experts agree that if your dog’s grief goes on too long, it may be time to have your dog see a veterinarian. “As a veterinarian, whenever I’ve helped owners through the loss of a pet in a multi-pet household, I’ve made a point of letting them know that animal grief is real and normal,” says Dr. Coates. “However, a pet who develops especially severe or persistent symptoms like lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy should be seen by a veterinarian as these may not be due to grief.” Not only can a veterinarian help diagnose and treat an illness that your dog might be experiencing, they can also prescribe a medication to help with your pup’s grief. These medications help with behaviors related to depression or anxiety to help your dog feel like himself again.

Sarah Jane wasn’t my running buddy like she was with her sister, but I miss her anyway. I don’t think my grief will be as deep as the remaining Sarah Jane, but I will feel it all the same. I miss her and our lives will never be the same again. She will always be a special girl in our hearts.

After doing my research, I know my mom will always be here for all of us, but she is dealing with her own pain. It’s going to be up to me to help everyone, including myself.

So what I’m going to do is give kisses whenever they’re needed. I’m going to play with Sarah Jane if she wants to play. If she doesn’t, I will sit quietly with her. If she decides she wants to get another running buddy, I will welcome him or her into our flock.

I miss you Sarah Jane. Rest in peace my friend.

Tomorrow, Aug. 28, 2019, is Rainbow Bridge Day.

It’s a time for us to remember our four-legged friends who are patiently waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

I’d like to share with you about a dog who is waiting there for me, and hope you all who have memories of your own to share will take advantage of Rochestersplace.com as a forum to share with us all who are remembering our friends on this day.

Buffy’s Story

It was back in 1987, when a friend and I were shopping at a mall in Columbia, SC, and she saw a little fox terrier-beagle mix mournfully peering out of a crate under a table. Quickly, she got my attention, and needless to say, that pitiful little girl went home with us.

Her name was Buffy.  I called her Buffy Ann.  She had been given up for adoption when a new husband didn’t like her.

Getting her acclimated to her new home was no easy task.  She was scared and didn’t want to be held. I think maybe she was afraid to love someone else because she didn’t want to be hurt again.

Sometimes she would get loose from the fenced yard and run from me.  Eventually, I was always able to catch her.

Buffy began her life with me sleeping on a bed in a room by herself.  Then she moved to the floor by my bed.  One night, during a terrible thunder storm, she jumped up on the bed beside me.  And that is where  she stayed.

She and I were inseparable from that point on.  We moved from our tiny apartment to a larger one across town.  Buffy made the move without difficulty.  Then we moved to Augusta GA.  No problems.

We traveled a lot and she always went along.  It didn’t matter where.  She was always ready to hop in the car and off we would go.

Two trips I especially remember were one to Hilton Head Island, SC.  The hotel manager wouldn’t let her stay in the room, so we checked out and went home. If she wasn’t good enough to stay in the room, neither were we.

Another memorable trip was to northern Michigan and Canada.  On that trip, Buffy decided to take one of her “runs.”  On that occasion, she ended up on the roof of the hotel and I had to go up there, in the snow, to get her off. Don’t ask me how.

The thing that brought Buffy and me close ended up being what took us apart.  A bad thunder storm.  She was terrified of them.

One Thursday afternoon in August 1992, in Augusta, GA, Buffy escaped from our yard during a storm.  She ran and ended up being hit by a car.  She was found about a mile from our house.  I brought her home.  Life would never be the same again.

Buffy was cremated and her ashes are with me still.  When it is my time to go, my ashes will join hers and we will be thrown to the wind to run together always.

Since then, a lot of dogs, all of them wire fox terriers, have come into my life.  It was she who brought them into my life.

Run free, my dear Buffy.  I’ll see you soon.

Please share your memories with us here.