We said sad good byes to our sweet Swiss Mountain dog Sadie last Friday. It hasn't been yet a week but it doesn't seem real. I spent the weekend looking through some favorite photos of her which was sad and hard yet comforting. All the good times, all the good memories, so much love she brought our family and we loved her back hard too.
She came into our lives when she was 5 years old. I was asked by a friend at work to babysit her over the weekend so I said yes of course. After the weekend was over we learned that they needed to find a new home for her and wondered if she fit with our family and if we'd keep her.
The answer was yes.
This is the photo of her we snapped after deciding to keep her forever. She still had her previous owners collar on. She always had such a happy face and smile. It was the best decision ever to add this lover girl to our family.
She bonded to our family over time. She was raised by a single man for 5 years. She loved the kids right away but took nearly a year to bond with me. She was smitten with my husband right away.
She became a huge lover girl. She was always up for snuggling with the kids on the couch.
She loved the outdoors and walks. Her previous owner had taken her everywhere...to the lake to swim, camping, any where he wanted to go she went with him.
Then shortly after we adopted Sadie we added a third dog, a puppy to our family who was part swiss mountain dog too...Ernie. She took on the job of raising him as if he was her own. She snuggled with him, played with him, let him chew on her face and mouth, licked him. Whenever we had to go out to of town and board the dogs they would always be placed in the same kennel together- they were inseparable.
We moved 5 times after adopting Sadie from different area's in Arizona and then even all the way to Idaho. She always adapted quickly and did great on the car rides and moving trips.
For this girl, parts of Arizona were a bit hot....her favorite - SNOW. Snow brought out the puppy in her and gave her energy and excitement. She would eat it, run in it. Our son would throw snow balls in the air and she'd attempt to catch them in her mouth then eat them as well.
After the first year her and I bonded and she opened up to letting a woman be in her life after having been raised by a man only for such a long time. She loved to lay on the couch with me and lay her head on me. She'd climb up in bed every night and snuggle to get pets before we fell asleep together.
This girl. My heart is so completely broken. I know deep down it was for the best. She was suffering and it was the right time and the right thing to do. Dogs have a special way of getting into our hearts forever. A piece of mine will forever belong to this sweet girl.
