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Dolls by Marita

All Gold on Porcelain Dolls is Fired & 22 kt

      Lady Barrett

An Italian Greyhound

Italian greyhounds, bred only to be lap dogs by the Egyptian elite of old.

Well, my dearest Lady, I didn’t think I would be writing about your intense love for us, your Mom & Dad, after you were gone.  You kept me so busy and so happy caring for you I didn’t think it was so urgent to write your story so soon.

You died on November 3, 2006, in just 3 short days.  The primary cause of your illness and death was Lyme disease and the secondary cause was from AutoImmune Hemolytic Anemia.  You never went in the yard that much, only to follow me, but I do remember seeing a tick on you a short while before as you were sitting on my lap.  It was only crawling on you and not filled with blood, but apparently took time to bite you.  The illness struck you like lightening, made you so very sick and immediately took you away from us.  Your doctor said even if I had brought you in the day before, he probably couldn’t have saved you, but I still can’t believe I didn’t see the jaundice starting by the yellow color on your tummy or in your ears.  So, my love, I will just tell the story about you in memory of your beautiful spirit and love.  Your Dad always said he had never seen such a loving companion.  You remember, we just couldn’t call you a dog and you barked when we said that word!!

Looking for a companion for your Dad while he recovered from several surgeries, we ventured into a pet store to see what they had.  Originally thinking that we wanted a miniature white poodle, the owner took us over to a cage with a cute little white poodle and a 4 pound 9 oz. fawn blue Italian Greyhound.  The poodle was asleep and there you were, our Lady, awake and pushing against the poodle as if to say, wake up and play with me.   As you were nudging the sleeping puppy, you looked out at me with those lovable brown eyes and we both fell in love!! Needless to say, you went home with us and spent the last 8 and a half years as our spoiled lap dog.

We brought you home in a crate, which was money needlessly spent, as you only wanted to be on our laps or beside us.  Your Vet warned us about your jumping off of the sofa or bed and breaking a leg as your legs were so tiny and fragile.....very long, but not sturdy.  You reminded us of a new born colt when you tried to walk on our wood floors......legs splayed all around you as you slipped down to the floor and sat….with that bewildered look on your face.  We tried to help you by giving some support around your chest but it took a couple of weeks before you mastered your graceful prancing walk.  Then we took you outside and chased you and your ball to strengthen those tiny, thin legs.  We did make a mistake doing that, for it took us awhile to get you to bring the ball back to us so we could play a longer time.  How you loved to play ball!!  You loved playing soccer with the grandchildren and would bounce it off your nose like a seal.  Of course, that little trick really hurt your nose and it bled and hurt for days. 

You sat by your Dad and loved him and kissed him through 7 surgeries on his knees and feet.  Each time one of the surgeries was coming up, your Dad would work on another cardboard box to cover his knees so that you could lay on his lap in comfort.  He’d cover the sharp edges of the box with a blanket.  You laid patiently on his bed while he did all his leg exercises and nursed him back to health.

You were so small, you crept under your Dad’s recliner and when he got up, you were trapped inside.  How you didn’t get hurt, we’ll never know, but by listening to the whimpers, we finally found and rescued you!!  Whenever we would sit down, you’d crawl up around our necks and go to sleep.  You loved to be carried like a baby, with your paws around my neck and your legs splayed around my waist.  I always had to carry you that way whenever someone came by and we would just stand and talk, or when we went to Lowe’s, or whenever you thought you could get away with it!!!

Having nice weather in February, we never gave it a thought that snowy weather might creep in on us, so we had about two weeks when we could take you out on the grass and try to get you to run to strengthen your legs.  At this time, we were also working on the potty training, which was going quite well.  When the snow came, you had to be carried outside to a place on the grass that had just been shoveled.  This inconvenience to you, our Miss Priss,   really created a set back in your potty training, but in the better days of March, we installed your very own doggy door and all our problems were over.  You never had an accident in the house and when we traveled out of town, you always went to a door and looked back at me to tell me when you needed to go outside.  Your Dad would always tell our friends that we spoke our own language!!

Chief was the older man in your life and dearly loved by you.  He could do no wrong in your eyes!!  How many times he had to put up with all the kisses you wanted to give him.  He’d try and try to get in someone’s lap that was the highest away from you, but you’d just reach up and kiss him all over again.  He could have any of your food, toys, chew bones or anything you had and you’d just sit by him and watch.  He didn’t quite understand your doggy door and sat outside it one night waiting for help.  Here you came, eager to help him and you sat right beside him and pawed at the door to show him what to do.  He didn’t move so you went inside, faced him and pawed at the door again.  Still no entry…you gave up and went to look into some other mischief.

Never having had a “dog” before, much less inside, I did a lot of reading about how to care for you.  One of the tips was to let your toys stay out wherever you left them to keep you amused and away from chewing the furniture.  It worked!!  One day, as I was sprucing up the house for company, I picked up 18 toys!!  No wonder you didn’t have time to gnaw on the furniture, you were too busy exploring the new toys I would bring you!!  During all that reading, I found the list of 8 to 10 reasons never to obtain an Italian Greyhound which just made me really laugh and love you all the more because we had already encountered all those little quirks.  Not that I didn’t wonder once in awhile just when you were going to settle down, but finally when you were about 16 months, you became a little less rambunctious and would try a little harder to listen to what you should or shouldn’t do.  Shaking the coke can with the pennies in it really worked with the “deficiencies” of your attention span, and we were finally able to put it away.  By then, I had also used my snapping fingers to let you know something wasn’t right and you listened right away.

We learned by just playing around that you loved to sing to the harmonica.  Our friends said it hurt your ears, but then when they saw how happily you wagged your tail they knew better.  Our horrible playing never bothered you but you really sang well when Keith came and played real songs.  You would even sing along with me to the Christmas carols when Dad would leave to play golf.  We had the house to ourselves and we’d have such fun.

You loved to have company and would get up on your hind legs to paw at the glass with your front legs.  That was your welcome to everyone for all those years.  We couldn’t have enough company for you.  And how you loved to know that Anita was coming and then see her drive up.  She had to hold you for quite awhile, and even though she said no kisses, you’d slip one in really fast.  Then it was time for your little treat and a ball game or two.  You spent most of the time around her when she came, guess you were giving me a break.  You constantly won the hearts of many, even Darold who always called you a dog.  I don’t know if it was the surprised look on his face when you jumped up on his lap or the smug look on your own face that said “I did it again” that made me laugh the most.  And you loved having Carrol rub your head and neck.

We took you to the ocean, to Florida, to Texas, wherever we thought you would be comfortable, but on some trips we had to leave you behind.  Never having been in a cage, we knew that would just break your heart.  With the good advice of friends, we found your beloved Marie.  Whenever she would come, you knew you would be safe and well taken care of while we were gone and you sat on her lap or right by her until we left.  Of course, after we left you could be quite the little pill by being nonchalant or cold to her for a few days.  Then you might warm up just before we returned.  Marie would leave and she only heard from me that you would sit by the front door and miss her.  How could you have so many inner feelings??

You constantly reminded us how pampered you were by not sitting on anything but a rug, your outside cushion, or a pillow.  We would tell you to sit on the deck so you could have a treat and you’d bump your little butt really fast and get up to get your treat.  Every place you sat had to be cushioned. 

I remember trying to get ready to go to work with you under foot and how you loved helping me put on my pantyhose, or was it taking them off?  You loved pulling on the toe so much I had to stand in the bathtub in order to get them on and save the cost of a new pair of hose.  It was amazing you never wanted to chew on a shoe or sock, you were just a thief!!  As I’d leave for work, you would stand on your Dad’s lap, put your paws on his chest and hold him down so he couldn’t leave too.

I didn’t get to be a stay at home Mom until a little over 5 years ago, and how you loved having me with you all day.  You followed me everywhere, all day long.  Your internal clock was really something as every morning you would want to get us up at 7:12am so you could eat your breakfast.  After the change from Daylight Saving time, that would equate to 6:12am and I would have to convince you we weren’t getting up yet…….it was way too early!!  After breakfast, if your Dad wasn’t up, you would go in and get him up…..no matter how many times I tried to coax you to let him sleep.  Then you would crawl up on his lap, he’d get your blanket and you’d sleep for 30 minutes.  By that time, I was ready to move around and you waited outside the shower for me then sat on the floor right by my vanity while I made myself presentable for the day.  Sometimes I took too long for the ritual and you would find your ball and start bouncing it around me so I knew I’d better hurry and go to the office and throw the balls down the hall.  Ball playing was your favorite activity and we would do that several times a day for at least 30 minutes each time.

Finally, you’d take a nap in your bed beside my computer while we listened to my opera, so I could do something constructive for awhile.  However, if I needed to leave the room for something, I’d have to tell you I’d be right back or you would get down and follow me.  When I’d return to the office, your head was still up waiting for me and then you’d go back to sleep.  With all the medicine you took for several years, we had to give you a little lunch too, or your tummy would hurt, and you were always sure to tell me it was 11:30.  After lunch, it was nap time again and around mid afternoon, you’d start waking up and then it was time to shake your furry toys and try to pull the cotton out of the bodies.  You’d shake them so hard we just knew you were hurting your nose!!  You’d pull all the cotton out you could get to and sit proudly on the rug beside the mess.  I would start picking up the cotton and ask you “who did this” which always made you want to get on your Dad’s lap so he could protect you!!  Silly puppy, your Mom never did anything but scold you a little. 

If I had to run to the store, I knew I had to sit on the divan a minute after I got back so you could jump up and give me my welcome home kiss.  You were always beside me as I read the paper and did my puzzle, sometimes telling me to put the paper down with your paw and pay attention to you or putting your paw on my arm if I didn’t have both hands rubbing you.  You used to hug and cling to the crook of my legs at night, now I hug your yellow and white stuffed lamb and blanket, hoping I can feel you with me.   

You sat beside me for months after I lost my only child this Spring…..you hugged me with your paws around my neck…..you kissed away my tears…..you’d bring me the ball just so we could have fun again…..you’d jump on my lap to reassure me…….and now you are gone…..my playmate, best friend, my love.  I’m trying very hard to live without you.

Your Dad said just this morning, he didn’t think he would ever be able to eat a bowl of cereal without seeing you sitting there by his chair and waiting for the last two or three tablespoons of his cereal.  Sometimes not too patiently!!  You would always leave that little dab of banana behind, but how you loved his cereal.  And he hasn’t been able to make the regular Saturday morning for “Breakfast” for us yet.  Dad would ask that magic word…….breakfast……and you would prance around the house and almost sing because he was going to get you an egg from Mickey D’s.  You would sit on the rug in front of the front door and try very patiently to wait for Dad to come back with your egg.  He’d pull into the drive and you would race back and forth between the front door and the garage door, waiting for him to come…..all the while doing your little high singing yelp!!  You also dearly loved Tomato Soup, always waiting to have 3 or 4 tablespoons on your plate at lunch time.

Thank you dearest Lady for all the years of love, the laughter at just watching you, and the amazement of how much a part of our life together you had become.  It was a privilege and honor to have you for these few years.  Our family chain is broken but we will one day join you at the Rainbow Bridge.  So rest easily and play to your heart’s content and watch for us.  Then the three of us will walk the heavens together forever.

Dolls by Marita  Copyright 2005

contact Marita at info@dollsbymarita.com