Schuyler Lac Du St. Sacrament
The Lovely Lady

2000-2010

Skye, or The Bird as she was known, held many titles:

Miss Congeniality…as long as she was around people…dogs were of little interest.

Miss Personality…a funny lady, many likes and dislikes and not at all shy about making them known.

‘Tude…Skye didn’t do what she didn’t want to do. She couldn’t be bothered with most dog food, preferring human food whenever possible. She had us cooking for her for months and bringing home half our restaurant meals to keep her happy. She did not like to be combed or brushed and would warn you with a deep, low growl that would grow stronger and louder as you continued to annoy her.

User Dog …She could ingratiate herself to you, looking sweet and demure when she wanted something. Once she got it, she was done with you. Hand her the biscuit she was so adorably begging for and she would eat it and then leave for her favorite “bedroom.” If she heard the biscuit box reopen she was right back at it.

Singer…with Cooper as her backup, Skye could howl with the best of them…interestingly she had the deeper voice.

Soccer star…any walk where there were stones available required the human to kick them so she could pursue, point them out and insist that they be kicked again. Ignore her at your own peril.

Alpha dog…don’t underestimate her because she was the smallest one in the house. Cooper, 10+ pounds heavier and quite a few inches taller, knew better then to mess with her. She would let him have it…he loved her anyway.

Lovely lady…she was a beautiful lady. Definitely a lady with a lovely jet black coat with tips of white and tan. Soft fur that would have been a demerit in the show ring was wonderful to stroke.

Wave runner...a relentless wave chaser, take Skye to the ocean, or near any body of water that dared to move, and she would race after the waves barking all the way. A babbling brook was an endless fascination...somehow she had to find a way to stop the water from moving.

Tough broad...this little 25-pound dog survived an altercation with a coyote and chased another one through the woods when it had the misfortune of crossing our path.

Demanding...No matter where you might be sitting or what you might be doing, when Skye wanted to be petted, she would present her butt and woe be it to you if you did not respond appropriately. Skye always rode in the front seat of the car--she was the queen after all--and when she wanted to be petted she would stick her nose under your arm and push so your hand would come up and ...surprise, surprise...become available to pet her!

Squirrel chaser...squirrels, chipmunks and cats were Skye's sworn enemies. She was not above dismantling drainpipes to get at a chipmunk that had crawled inside for protection. The sight of this dog with a metal drain pipe twice as long as she was between her teeth was quite comical. She would shake the drain pipe as if it was captured prey...which in her mind it was!

Stick dog...Skye was in charge of all sticks. If you tried to remove branches from the yard she would try to drag them out of your hands and was known to fetch them from where you had dumped them. She also would pick up sticks--sometimes the size of Redwoods--while on walks and insist that they be thrown for her to chase. She could be most insistent.

Vulnerable…rarely but when she was, she demanded your help. Thunderstorms sent her leaping into our water bed, creating a virtual tsunami followed by a series of aftershocks caused by her trembling. She insisted on sleeping on your head during storms; once the storms were over she left, having no further use of you. If she picked up a stone or thorn in her paw, she would beseech you with sad eyes to help; once saved she would prance around you, tail wagging as thanks.

Near the end, her eyes told me she was done…the ultimate vulnerability revealed.

The greatest sadness, beyond losing her, is that she died not at home and not with us but at the veterinary hospital. Our kind and caring vet called early on the morning of Jan. 6 with the devastating news. He assured us she had not died alone because he was with her…comforting, but not the same.

Thinking of her alone, seizing, scared, sick in a place she didn’t want to be, will always remain with me…brings tears to my eyes each time I think of it. I’d always thought that having a dog die naturally so as not to have to make the ultimate decision would be easier. It wasn’t. In this case it was far worse.

Skye was only 9. Who says life is fair?

Farewell Bird, we’re going to take you back to your favorite spots this spring and you will be free but not alone because you will be with us everywhere…

 

1/23/10