Meet Lucy

After Sam passed away I wanted to get another dog right away.  David wanted to wait a while so we could travel and stuff.  I talked him into getting another dog in the spring.  We were going to go to Hawaii then get one but as usual things don't go as planned.  When I found out I had cancer we postponed our Hawaii plan.  I wasn't sure how long my treatment would take so it was hard to plan ahead.  We decided to just get a dog when I was done with my treatment.  David was anxious about a puppy chewing up everything we own!  Including our new kitchen remodel.  I looked quite a bit and we decided a rescue dog was a good option because hopefully their puppy chewing would be over with.  We were open to different dogs but I really like dachshunds so I mostly looked at them.  We found a dachshund rescue in Oregon.  I looked at lots of different dogs as they came there, and read all their stories.  There was lots of cute ones I wanted them all!  David kept telling me to not look until it was time because I would find one that fit us and it would be gone before we were ready.  Then one day I saw Lucy.  She is so cute!  Her background story is she lived with an 84 year old lady in poor health that had to move to an assisted living so she couldn't take her with.  We meet her 2 weeks ago today and took her home with us.  She is very sweet and cute but is very attached to me!  She doesn't like to be left alone ever.  Every time we go to the store or dinner or the gym she goes crazy and chews up everything in her kennel.  When she is at home or work with me she is super quite and just sleeps unless people approach her, then she growls or barks at them but she warms up quickly.  I think she just sat around with her previous owner.  She sleeps a lot and doesn't seam to know what grass is, or how to play by her self, or its ok to do things without me a feet away from her.  We are working on that.  She is a good listener and know a lot of things.  Unlike Sam she is really good in the car!  She seams smart.  Her favorite thing is belly rubs!  We think she is almost 3.  We will be going on her first camping trip this weekend.  I hope she does good so the one next month will go great. I think she will be a fun addition to our family!

the day we picked her up

David sharing his pepperoni

waiting for a belly rub

playing in the garden

at work between clients

every time we leave

Running to me

Sam part 4

I wanted to write (mostly for me) about the last days of Sam's life.  I know this has been 7 months but it's still hard for me.  She truly was an amazing little dog.  In July 2015 David and I found out Sam had bladder cancer.  The vet said she could still live another year.  I was devastated but thought she's 14 and I knew wouldn't live forever so I had about 1 more year to get ready to say goodbye.  I'd like to think she had a wonderful, long, happy life filled with love and joy.  We already had a long camping trip planned for later that month.  David, Sam and I got to spend over 2 weeks together.  I could tell she was deteriorating fast.  She was mostly sleeping not eating a lot and tried to potty about every 15 minutes.  When we returned from our vacation we went back to the vet were she said Sam only had day's left.  I don't think I had ever been so sad but I knew she was ready.  We didn't want her to suffer so we picked a Saturday to take her to the vet for the final time.  That morning she came to work with me (for just a few minutes) then we went to the bank drive through so she could get a treat (she didn't eat it) which she loved doing! After that David her and I all went to the farmers market.  We pushed her in her stroller.  Then we ordered her a double meat Philly cheese steak!  We let her eat all that she wanted which wasn't to much. (these pictures were all from her last day 9-05-15, you can see how tired she looks.)

It was actually nice weather so we went back home and relaxed in the sun in the back yard.  We then drove to the vet.  We tried to be strong so she wouldn't get scared.  Once there the vet gave her an antistatic type shot for her to be unconscious but still breathing.  We just pet her while she laid on my lap.  After a few minutes they gave her another shot to stop her breathing.  It was then we both started crying!  We took her home with us and buried her in her blanket I had made.  We cried for days and at times still do.  The next morning we planted some flowers and put some lights were she was placed.

Not a day goes by I don't think about her and I'm pretty sure David thinks about her daily too.  The vet made us a cute plaster print of her paw.  We also got lots of card and some flowers too.  She will always live on our heart.   Here are some of my favorite pictures of her. 

This photo's are not in time order and some are duplicates from older post I know.   I have to many  favorites to post them all.  R.I.P. Samantha 1-15-01 - 9-05-15 (By the way her official akc name was Chocolate Covered SamSam) I know kind of a funny name but it seamed to go good with her heritage names and had to be unique)

Sammy part 3

I still wanted to write a little more about the time I got to share with Sam.  I wish she could have lived forever the was the perfect little companion for me.  When we joined David's life I figured he loved me so he would put up with her because he knew how much she meant to me.  But I was thrilled when I realized David loved her just as much as I did!  This really meant a lot to me.  The first time we went on vacation without her David had took a video of her before we went and watched it several time while we were gone.  Sam went on several trips with as well.  Mostly camping in the r.v.  We took trips around Washington and Oregon and even made it on trips to Utah and Wisconsin .  I think she's been on more trips and to more states then many people I know even!  Here's a picture from our first trip with David. 

Jeeping in Moab UT

We went to the tulip festival in Oregon because it was dog friendly unlike the Wa one.



David's family reunion in WI she's right in the middle.
 

She even went boating with us.

 

She liked opening her Christmas stocking and gifts.

 

We went on walks all the time.  Here's a picture I loved of Penelope walking her

One more post about Sam to go...Next time I will post about her last days and some of my favorite photos of her.