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| Penny in her Prime |
This past week we said goodbye to our 13 year old loyal dog, Penny. Although she soldiered on, being the happy, fun-loving dog we'd known for over a decade, debilitating arthritis and the appearance of cancer finally proved too much for even her.
Penny had many nicknames, each of which she loved. Her favorite bedtime litany of them, told to her in the bedroom before going to sleep: "You're Penny, P-Dawg, the Bone Yard. Squirrel's Bane and 'Possum's woe, with your Jaws-o-Death," told to her as she got her ears scratched while on her cushion bed, Penny's tail would wag, often peeking out beneath the towel to "cover up her dupa" on winter nights as age crept up on her. She also loved to be called "Big Girl" and "Good Girl." Being called those just perked her up.
Myself and my family and all who visit our home will miss Penny's greeting, wagging tail and showing everyone her toy or bone. Another of her nicknames was the Guardian Houndie because she was always paying attention, often sleeping with one ear up.
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| Sleeping, One Ear Up |
Penny was especially protective of the side yard, which was her territory. She'd ignore our cats, in the house or in the backyard. But, if they were in her side yard? The chase was on. Penny guarded it against squirrels (she came within inches of catching one once) and 'possums (she caught two, giving then good chew-toy shakes). And every time she was at the door, you could see the anticipation on her face, her tail and ears perked--reliving those memories in her head and anticipating a new addition.
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| Observing her Side Yard Territory |
Penny loved being petted and playing tug of war with her ropes and toys. She loved her bones and wearing sweater outfits. When the weather got warm, and the outfits were removed, you could see that he made her unhappy, the opposite of when she got one put on.
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| Penny with her Favorite Outfit |
Every Christmas and birthday, and several other random days in the year, Penny would get a new bone. Some from the store filled with goodies, or cooked soup bones. Each would provide weeks of chewing entertainment, extending into months.
Speaking of her side yard, she looked forward to sniffing the trails of all the birds, cats and other critters that had passed through in her absence. Stand and bark to warn others away, bark at cats or dogs or persons beyond her yard, run alongside the fence barking at vehicles traversing the alley alongside. Then she would find her spot and lay down, and observe her territory and the area just beyond the fence.
Penny always looked forward to dinner, and sometimes a special treat when Kathy, (her mom), would place a pan or other cooking dish on the floor so Penny could lick out the grease. Penny kindly thought of it as helping by "pre-washing" to help me out. And Penny appreciated the few peanuts or other treats Kathy or our daughters would share in the living room with her as they watched TV or played video games. She'd spend time "killing" her toys, joyfully making them squeak with her Jaws-o-Death.
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| Penny with her Bone |
Penny really hated baths. According to the animal shelter where we got Penny, she was found down by a river as a puppy, the rest of her littermates downed. But somehow she escaped that fate. Her dislike of the bathtub was well founded, and she normally got cleaned out in the yard with soap and a garden hose. Well, she didn't like that, but tolerated it.
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| Penny as a Puppy |
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| Puppy Penny with her Pal Maddy showing her the ropes |
Penny had a pal, Maddy, who passed a few years earlier, and it was obvious she missed canine friend. Her companion and backup outside in the yard.
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| Penny and Maddy Hanging Together |
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| Penny barking for a treat with the more timid Maddy not so sure that's the way to go. |
Penny also had to put up with two of our cats, who eventually became sometimes indoor cats, especially on bitterly cold winter nights. For the most part, Penny would ignore them. When the cats would lay down on her bed cushion, P-Dawg would go curl up in the cat's bed. Sometimes the stare-down would begin. On rare occasion, Penny would let one of the cats onto her cushion bed, and they would nap, back to back. While she generally ignored the cats, Patches always kept out of her way, while Jigsaw, initially darting past or around, finally just pretended she wasn't there, and visa versa.
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| Penny sleeping in lost Pal, Maddy's bed |
The Bone Yard loved getting petted, and returning kisses, and sometimes playfully snorting. Sometimes she'd stand, barking in front of the TV or the couch, announcing she wanted to play. And every time someone came home, Penny would greet them, and then head to the side door to go outside.
We enjoyed wonderful years as Penny as part of our "Pack." That said, they were far too few. Such is the experience of taking in a shelter dog as part of your family.
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| Penny Hearing Someone Coming in the Door |
Although I am an author, it is difficult to find the words to express how much Penny, P-Dawg, the Bone Yard will be missed.
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| Penny hanging out in her later years with toys and bone |
