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Tag Archives: dogs

Flashback Friday: That Time Affie Trotted Off

23 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by MonicawithRA in Animal Sciences

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Affie, dogs, flashback friday, pets

I grew it up in a gorgeous wooded neighborhood. It was a protected area where homeowners could only expand their homes vertically and not horizontally so they wouldn’t disturb the forest. Because of this, the houses were generally small with large, untouched yards wrapped around them. Fun fact: One was built by Andrew Lloyd Wright and remained in his family!

I know it sounds like I grew up in a quiet rural environment but actually I lived in the suburbs of Washington DC! The city and it’s neighboring counties took their environment seriously.

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The surrounding streets connected through loops and general roundabouts with multiple outlets to the “main road”. This kind of made us one big happy neighboorhood, even if we didn’t know everyone who lived in the gorgeous 50 and 60 style houses.

Mine was not small but it was one story with a basement. It looked it, though, because of the vast garden. I was lucky that we had such an expansive yard. I had a lot of room to play and the dogs had plenty of space to run.

When we got Affie (our first dog) we decided to take advantage of this great big space and put in an invisible fence. I know it is a controversial topic but we thought it was a great idea because the dog had unblocked access to the entire property.

It was perfect for the Affie and Saachi (our second dog). They ran around all day (hours upon hours) as if they were farm animals and especially loved to trot next to other people walking their pets.

A in her Pillow Hat - 2007

In retrospect, this is probably why our pets are so aloof and self reliant. They preferred the outdoors and were not interested in playing fetch or Frisbee.

We liked to keep Affie’s fur short. It matted easily and I couldn’t keep up with the grooming. But, during late Fall, early winter we grew her hair out so she could stay outside and not freeze her little doggie butt.

The problem with this, we found out, was she would disregard her fence collar. We didn’t keep the shock too high but it was high enough that we thought she could feel it through inches of fur. Even now, we’re not convinced that she didn’t feel it.

Affie Chain - 2006

One weekday while I was at school a neighbor from three “neighborhoods” away rang our doorbell and handed Affie over to my father.

“We found her marching along the road!” she explained. My father was flabbergasted. He didn’t know the woman but thankfully she recognized Affie from when she walked her own dogs.

I don’t know how this lady caught this nutty dog but I have the upmost respect for her. Affie never came when she was called and played chase with anyone who looked at her.

Now, this is probably a good time to mention we checked on the dogs when they were outside but since they had full use of the property (front and back of the house) we never worried too much if we couldn’t see them. They explored every inch of the yard (and remember I mentioned it was very wooded) so we just assumed they were in some cranny inaccessible to us.

The woman was kind enough to remove Affie’s collar and it was still buzzing when she handed it over. She laughed “I can’t believe she didn’t feel it!”

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We couldn’t believe it either.

After that, we checked on Affie more frequently and I did catch her making a break for freedom a couple of times. I think she chose to ignore the zap to continue her carefree exploratory existence outside of her usual four corners.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

 

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AtoZ – D is for Deceased Dog

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by MonicawithRA in Animal Sciences

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blogging, Blogging A to Z, dogs, pets, Saachi

Saachi and Sunsilk both start with S so I had to be creative in doing Saachi’s Furry Friends tag! Saachi passed away just over two years ago from Hemangiosarcoma (cancer of the blood). She may be gone but she remains part of the pack.

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What is your pet’s name?

Saachi. Her “birth” name was Lottie.

What kind of pet is she and what breed?

Saachi was a purebred Bullmastiff dog.

Big Puppy (5 mo.)

How long have you had your pet friend? 

Almost 9 years! We adopted her at two months and she passed away at eight and a half years.

DSCF2219

How did you get your pet?

Saachi was our fourth adoption. Soon after we adopted Affie, Dad exclaimed he wanted his own dog. He traveled a lot for work and the first three kind of attached themselves to me. I agreed but only if it was a giant breed. I specifically wanted a Great Dane. To this day, I don’t remember why this was so important to me.

Dad disagreed. He thought they were too common…even though I had only ever seen one near our home.

Second choice? A mastiff. My father set to work and researched mastiffs. One day, I heard him yelling from his office and he excitedly showed me pictures of this silly looking pup up for adoption in Kentucky.

“What do you think??”

“She’s cute…kind of chubby…but really cute..”

“Good, because I already emailed the owners”.

My father was ecstatic. He emailed EVERYONE photos of Lottie and captioned them ‘the new addition to the family’. Now would be a good time to mention the adoption was not yet final! Hah!

How old is your pet?

Saachi passed away at 8.5 years.

What are some quirky things about your pet’s personality?

Hmmm…she hated me? She just strongly disliked me. I was the disciplinarian of the family and she was a spoilt, spoilt dog! It was not until I returned from college that she realized she actually loved and missed me!

“Wouldn’t it be funny if the phrase ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ held true with her?”

“I wouldn’t count on it, she really doesn’t like you!” -Dad

It was not until after I returned home from school that first break that she did a complete 180 and actually liked me!

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But, I digress. An actual quirk? Saachi believed she was a cat. She grew up in a family with two adult cats, who she adored. She wanted to be part of Sunsilk and Marmalade’s club but they wouldn’t let her. In order to be more like them, she kneaded blankets, beds and bodies and came up with her own version of purring!

What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?

My pets mean the world to me. My father traveled a lot for work so my pack was my family. Even though I was not Saachi’s favorite person she was extremely protective of me. She would bark at every little noise and stand guard at the front door whenever I was alone in the house. Her love was unfailing and unwavering.

20150131_162429-1-1

What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?

Nap time. Saachi was the perfect blanket. She lay on top of me and since she was bigger than me I was never cold!

Tug of war — Best ab work out ever.

DSCF1337

Nicknames?

“No!” Saachi was so big she never got away with anything.

“Ugly” …I feel sort of bad about this one…When she was little her head grew too big for her body and she looked rather comical. It was a couple of months before her body caught up but the nickname stuck!

The bobsy twins

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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Website | Social Media Tag: #atozchallenge

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B is for Binky (A is also for Affie) || Pets

03 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by MonicawithRA in Animal Sciences

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Tags

blogging, Blogging A to Z, dogs, pets

DSCF2955

I completed the Furry Friends tag a couple of years ago but I wrote about all four pets in one very long post. During this month, I will re-do the tag but in smaller bite-size amounts.

Yes, April 1st would technically make more sense since “Affie” starts with A but I already had my nails set up and I wanted to post them! So, for today,  B is for Binky (#AtoZChallenge).

 

DSCF1982

 

What is your pet’s name?

Affie. Her birth name is Aphrodite. The name does not suit her so we shorten it.

 

What kind of pet is she and what breed?

She is a purebred Coton de Tulear. This breed is similar to a Bichon except the fur is longer and more coton-like. She does not shed which is a plus for me since I am allergic to animal dander!

DSCF1989

 

How long have you had your pet friend?

About 13 years. Her birthday is in July.

 

IMG_0077

How did you get your pet?

“I grew up with dogs. I want a dog.”

“Uhm….okay? She has to hypoallergenic though”

“Okay!”

Two days later we had a puppy. My father is not a particularly impulsive man. He thinks everything through with an analytical eye. Adopting Affie was a different decision for him. He found her. He wanted her. He got her.

(By the way, we already had two cats…and little did we know, six months down the line, a second dog!)

 

How old is your pet?

Affie is almost 14 years old.

IMG-20140326-00592_1395878705527_n

 

What are some quirky things about your pet’s personality?

She is like a living stuffed animal. She is the most aloof, self-sufficient dog I have ever met. Most dogs spend time with their masters and shadow every step they take. They sleep at their feet, respond to their voice and are constant companions. Well, not Affie. She would make a great farm animal.

It’s not that she doesn’t love us. She just doesn’t need us. She is perfectly content being on her own. She sits at the window (rooms away from us) and watches the day float by.

The pets have a bowl of toys for when we are not around. Even when we are, Affie would rather play by herself.

Dad frequently makes fun of me and calls her my spitting image which, I guess, is very true.

Photo on 3-2-13 at 9.20 PM

 

What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?

My pets mean the world to me. My father travels a lot for work so my pack is my family. Sure, Affie is aloof and prefers to be on her own but her love is unwavering. She knows I am her owner, she knows I am her master and she knows I am “Mom”. She may not need me on the day to day but when she does, I am her first stop. When she is scared, I am the lap she sits in. On the off chance she needs me. I am there.

And, vice versa.

 

What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?

Nap time.

And, fetch. She runs around with a toy I chase her trying to get it back.

DSCF1366

 

Nicknames?

Affie-Taffie, Affs, Binky-Stinky, Binker.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

B

Website | Social Media Tag: #atozchallenge

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T is for Tribute (RIP Saachi)

27 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by MonicawithRA in Animal Sciences

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Tags

Blogging A to Z, blogging community, dogs, pets

Just over a year ago Saachi passed away of hemangiosarcoma (blood cancer in dogs). It happened so quickly. I woke up one morning and Saachi was hyper ventilating. A 14 centimeter splenic tumor was pushing up against her lungs. She stayed in emergency until the splenectomy at which point (three full days later) the tumor grew to 20 centimeters.

We found out a week later the tumor was malignant. There were various options for treatment but it was more to make her last few months (read: weeks) as comfortable as possible…

 

DSCF2013.JPGSaachi was an interesting dog. Well first, I should mention she was a giant. She was a Bullmastiff but one of the most beautiful mastiffs I ever saw. Her muzzle was not squat like most of her breed. It was long and well proportioned to the rest of her face.

 

She was highly aggressive. In her early years she was both dog and human aggressive but as she got older she mellowed out. She was very much my father’s dog. In comparison to how much she loved my dad she disliked me because I was the disciplinarian and in her eyes I did not spoil her the way my dad did.

 

20150131_162429-1-1I used to climb over the stair railing because she’d sit on the corner stair and nip at my ankles any time I went up or down.

 

Asleep on Stairs.JPGRegardless, she was highly protective of me. Dad traveled a lot for work so Saachi thought she needed to shelter me from the big bad world.

 

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When I went away to college I joked to my dad “wouldn’t it be funny if the saying ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ is actually true and when I come home for break Saachi will be my best friend?” He just replied,  ‘I wouldn’t count on it, she really doesn’t like you!’.

20150306_191042Well, guess what? I came home and she was my best friend! Since my first visit home she realized she actually loved me.

And, as the years by, we became even closer. When she was ill or scared she’d come to me and she knew I was the one with the food. She was always my father’s dog but he traveled a lot for work so I was the pack leader, the one who provided and cared for her.

 

IMG_20150327_212612She stayed with me when I was flared up or ill. She needed less attention when I couldn’t give it. She was understanding and caring.

When she became ill something shifted. Saachi was a sexist dog. Dad was her favorite so she always preferred men over women. But, when she got sick and saw me more as her master she started snarling and barking at men! She never used to do this and I thought it was hilarious. She was always protective of me but not at random people on the street.

 

20150218_185105-1Saachi was an extraordinarily loving dog. She may have been a little crazy, unsocial and aggressive but she knew who her pack was (Dad, me, Marmalade, Sunsilk and Affie) and never wavered from that. Poor thing, though, she really loved the cats but they bullied her because she was the baby of the family. Of course, she’d get back at them by cornering them or sticking her big fat face in theirs.

I never realized how lively the house was while she was alive. She was the vivacious one. Now, on multiple occasions, I exclaim at how “boring” Affie, Marmalade and Sunsilk are. All they do is sleep. They don’t like playing with me and really just do what they want to do. They could have 8 hour a day jobs and I would never know.

Saachi was the polar opposite. She loved to play and she lived to be around people. She was spoiled and loved and always got new toys and sweaters and beds and blankets.

 

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True story: Dad bought her Indian necklaces to wear, got ready to fly home when he realized there were three other pets in the house and quickly found jewelry for them too.

 

It has been over a year since Saachi passed away but we are no nearer to getting a new dog. We just don’t want another one. Saachi (all of them in fact) is so precious to us. We know we’ll never have pets like them again and while we would never want to replace them we also know others would not hold a torch to them.

 

DSCF2219

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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