In April of 2000, my childhood dog, Slippers was put to sleep because she was old and wasn't eating. Against a lot of "We can't get another dog" 's and "We miss Slippers" 's we ended up searching in ads and found a litter of golden retriever puppies in Pontiac, IL. (This was about 3 months after Slipper's passing) We were tired of coming home to a house void of a furry creature with a wagging tail. So one stormy Sunday afternoon all four of us made the trip to Pontiac. There was lightening, rain, and even tornado warnings. The puppies were in a barn (later made into a great joke: "Maisy were you born in a barn?") and we had our choice from the whole litter. We were overwhelmed with all these fuzzy little golden puppies running around. And then I found her. A little sweet puppy with white on her paws (Slippers had 4 white paws, hence the name Slippers). She was ours.
(My pictures of her are limited on this computer...)I remember her first night. We had a kennel set up with a pad and blankets and toys. I decided I'd set up a sleeping bag and sleep next to her kennel so she wouldn't be lonely. She cried. So I decided to get her out and have her sleep next to me. She bit my ear... I put her back in and after some crying her and I fell asleep. The next morning I cried and said I wanted Slippers back... I did want Slippers back, but I came to love and adore sweet Maisy. Those first few months we rediscovered what it was like to have a puppy. She was really sweet and pretty well behaved. She never went to obedience school, but was one of the most obedient dogs. She became very spoiled (probably a mix between our missing Slippers and just being really cute). She became a little bit of a brat (probably from being spoiled). She was the best dog ever. The second day we had her we went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and my dad held little Maisy in his arms and brought her in against my mom's, Amy's, and my protests. The guy at Dunkin said no dogs allowed and my dad was like what? She's my puppy. She had us wrapped around her little paws...
I have so many memories of Maisy... We used to keep her in the back room of our house with 2 gates one in the kitchen and one leading to the hallway. When I got home from school or my mom from work we'd find my stuffed animals lying in the hallway or in the front room or on the stairs, but Maisy would be in the back room. It's like she knew she needed to get back to where she started when we got home. Miss Innocent. She used to always nudge people's arms at the dinner table forcing people to pet her. When you told her to lay down at the dinner table when she was begging she would promptly put her head in your lap and look up being like "What my head is down." When we got Skippy and Skippy took her place on the couch in the front room, Maisy would bark as if something was outside and once Skippy jumped down to see what it was Maisy would jump up on the couch and take her place. I used to run with both Skippy and Maisy and I felt like such a fool with one arm stretched out way in front of me and the other way behind. I tried to catch up with fast Skippy and trot along with lowly Maisy. I used to look back at her and be like "Come on girl you can do it" and she'd look at me as if to say "I'm coming, this is my speed, but I'm coming".
I hated leaving to go to college. I cried in both respects of leaving my parents, but also my dogs. There were many times I was very homesick for my puppies. But every time I came home there was always a HUGE welcome waiting for me. They both would be so excited practically knocking me down. Maisy used to cry and talk when I got home as if to catch me up on everything that I missed while I was gone.
Maisy was no stupid dog. She was very intelligent. After teasing her with toys, she picked up on teasing people with toys. She'd walk up to you, drop the toy, look at you and then hover inches over the toy to say "Get it, I dare you". Any slight movement and her jaws would snatch up the toy. Maisy LOVED socks and would stuff her mouth with as many that fell off the bed through the night. "Maisy those are mine!" "No, I disagree." Every walk would start with a dive and roll onto her back, over and over and over. She LOVED rolling in the grass. It was like she was saying "I'm free! And I love it!". While I was at home during student teaching my parents and I would watch 24 and my dad would lie on the floor and Maisy would bring him a toy and stand over him and when she got bored with that she'd lie right next to him. She would actually lie right next to you whenever you were doing something... Working out especially. And it's hard doing sit ups or push ups with an 80 pound dog next to you.
I know this post is long, but I wanted to write out at least some of the memories of Maisy. She was my best friend and I miss her and I wish I could have been home more with her during the last couple of years. People without pets don't realize what purpose animals have, but Maisy was like family and unlike humans, dogs have the power to forgive easily and love unconditionally. Maisy would give, give, give and love me no matter what. I love her very much and I miss her so much.
(One more story. Maisy (like most dogs) loved food. When I was in high school, during the summer I would come up to bed after my parents (and Maisy) went to bed and I would come up and watch tv in my room and sometimes I'd bring up crackers. The minute she heard the crinkling of the cracker package she magically appeared in my room and was at my bed side. Never failed. )
