After nine years of pussy-footing it around the water, Elsie decided she likes to swim after all. The only time I’d ever seen Elsie launch herself into a body of water was when someone dropped a hotdog bun off a dock into a pond. Otherwise, she’s been at best a timid paddler.
This summer the frogs have been out en masse on the ponds and Elsie has found a new passion. She never catches them, not even close, but she has been wading further and further out. And one day I threw a stick for her and she swam out and brought it back. Once started there was no turning back and she now swims like a pro. Her doggy paddle is still a little rough, though.
Kooikerhondjes do shed and if they “blow” their coats, it can be spectacular. Here Wendy, one of Elby’s humans, describes the situation at their house.
“Elby’s shedding is unbelievable. Not really complaining (well maybe a little …), but basically it is just falling off him as he walks around. And if he scratches it’s everywhere. It has not been like this in other seasons. He shows no other signs of problems with his skin, etc. Just fur galore. Dave brushes him once a week, but the next day it is still all over. Here is a picture of 1/2 days worth and this does not count the stuff on my dark green rug (bad color choice with him!!). Just amazed is all … hopefully as the fall gets here it will slow down.” —Wendy
At times, a Swiffer or a Roomba can be a Kooiker owner’s best friend. We have a blue carpet in our living room, and every hair my Kooiker sheds shows up there. The tan carpet on our stairs hides it much better. —Joyce
Elsinore has taken the title Emerita and has retired from breeding. I, and the rest of us here at Rosewood, found it most difficult to take this step, even though, having recently turned nine, she had every right to step down. She is often mistaken by other dog owners as much younger. Because of that, along with her sometimes ditsy temperament, I often think of her as newly minted.
Besides her age, several of her offspring have had health concerns that most likely were passed on through her. Preventing the possible re-occurrence of these problems was the most important factor in the decision to retire her. I was experiencing a stand-off between head (don’t risk passing on health problems to puppies) and heart (she, and her offspring, have so many other terrific qualities) when our vet made a discovery that prompted us to act: several growths in her mammary tissues. While dogs are prone to canine breast cancer, it occurs almost exclusively in intact (unspayed) females. While we didn’t know if the growths were malignant, we couldn’t afford to do nothing. Within a week, she had combination surgery to be spayed and to remove the growths.
Elsie puts up with wearing The Cone after having surgery to be spayed.
Sublimely oblivious to the swirling decision-making that has gone on among the humans charged with her care and well-being, Elsie continues to be her happy, confident self. She seems to have bounced back from the required surgical procedures. We have been charged with limiting her physical activity and creating a serene and quiet environment during her recovery. Staying calm has been the most difficult for her, much worse than wearing “The Cone,” a lightweight clear plastic shield.
What lies ahead for Elsie? The lab results indicate that while the lumps were a low-grade form of cancer, they were completely removed and it’s likely we’ve seen the end of that story. We both look forward to resuming our pleasant hours of rambling in the woods. More than that, I have been threatening for years to start her in agility classes and this seems like the opportune time. Will you hear from us next from the training ring? Watch this spot.
Rod and Marta Beckstead hosted the third Kooiker Match on July 24, 2010, warmly welcoming us to their hillside home in Allentown, PA. Yorick and Elsie, Benvolio (litter B) and Cato (litter C) represented Rosewood at the match.
Happy Halloweenish Birthday from Elsie to all you other folks celebrating your birthday on this best of all days. Elsie celebrated by walking around the neighborhood this evening and barking at trick-or-treaters.
Last month we received a letter with an important health update from the owners of one of our Litter B puppies. We immediately wrote to ask for more. The following is compiled from three letters from Elby’s owners, written in September and October 2010:
Elby is now having seizures. He had his first one in late April and has had 4 since, that we are aware of. Two of them just today. We had Elby in for blood work immediately after his first episode. Everything was normal. Our vet was very unconcerned, and did not suggest further testing, but said that if at some point we wanted to medicate him that we could discuss that.
The great pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, he will make a fool of himself too.
– Samuel Butler
Personally, I would not give a fig for any man's religion whose horse, cat and dog do not feel its benefits. Life in any form is our perpetual responsibility.
- S. Parkes Cadman
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
- Groucho Marx
To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
- Aldous Huxley
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace.
- Milan Kundera
Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
