Introducing Booshka

Booska aged 8 weeks

Booska yesterday

In my last post,some time ago, I wrote about the sad loss of our lovely Irish terrier,  Ronan.  We knew that after he died we would eventually get another dog but I wasn't quite ready for the reality of having a puppy so it's been a bit of a shock.   Never one to delay, husband did some research and a lot of persuasion so we are now in possession of a Berger Blanc Suisse or a White Swiss Shepherd puppy - a girl (don't like calling her a bitch with all its negative connotations!).  This is a compromise - Paul wanted a German Shepherd; I find them a bit scary, remembering Flash, the fierce guard dog in our village petrol station when I was a child.  Swiss Shepherd Dogs are smaller and gentler says Paul, though she is already huge in my eyes and not that gentle when she races up the stairs to greet me in the morning biting my ankles to say hello. She is lovely but a lot of hard work - just like having a toddler around again. Yesterday, for example, she ate her breakfast too quickly, then vomited on the stairs; peed in the lounge; pinched a packet of butter from the kitchen worktop; chewed or attempted to chew any shoe or item of clothing left within her reach; and then managed to escape from the back garden in the dark. We are exhausted! And yes we have chosen another silly name for the dog.  Her full name is Babuska - like the Kate Bush song.  

I've not posted anything for ages.  I've not had much time but that's not really the reason.  I'm becoming less comfortable with the idea of documenting my life online for anyone to read.   But at the same time I like having this record  and enjoy looking back.  And there are a few members of my family and some blog friends I have made who like reading this. I'm wondering if it possible to limit the readership to people I choose. Does anyone know if it is possible to do this with an existing blog?

Sad News

I'm returning here to report some sad news.  Our lovely dog, Ronan, who has featured in the blog many times, died last week.  It was a big shock to the whole family as it happened quite suddenly - just over a week ago he was able to go for a walk with me yet a few days later he was too weak even to go out to the garden.  He had probably been ill for a while and was hiding it well, the vet said.  After a week of treatment for vomiting and lethargy, they found a mass on his liver so said there was nothing they could do and advised us to end his suffering.  It was a very hard day.

It is very quiet at home now.  Coming back to the house after being out is worst as we are so used to him greeting us at the door, his tail wagging.  We are also missing walking him, something which  felt like a chore at times but was part of our normal routine. And it's hard to go for a walk on our usual routes as we see other regular dog walkers we know by sight and say hello to and I can't face telling them. It's hard to make the transition from being a dog owner to not being one: I still find myself closing gates and doors to stop his escape and moving plates with leftovers out of reach unnecessarily.

Kate is back at university so we had to tell her the news on the telephone.  She is also terribly upset as she has grown up with Ronan. She was only 8 when he arrived in 2007.  Here she is not too long after we got him, helping to train him.  He was very good at sitting and giving you his paw but only if he knew he would get a treat. In some ways I was glad she wasn't at home when he became ill as she will have only good memories of his final weeks.  He was generally ok over the Christmas holidays and she had spent a lot of time playing with him and had him sitting beside her at the table as she was revising for the exam she had this week. 

Back in 2007, I had serious doubts about getting a dog.  I'd not had a dog as a child - we always had cats -  I knew it would be hard work and a big commitment.  It was, but I hadn't realised what joy a dog like Ronan would bring to our lives and what a good companion he would be.  He was with us for nearly 12 years and had a good life.  Still we will miss him so much.