TO OUR FAMILY PETS RUFFLES "The day we brought her home at 3 weeks old." While on vacation visiting my parents in Arkansas, one of my mothers friends called her to let her know her dog had puppies. My mother thought it would be nice for my boys to go see them. Well we did, and the boys loved them, they were the tinest, cutest little puppies they have ever seen. When we came home that is all we could talk about. Josh was 4 1/2 and Daniel was 1 1/2 years old. They wanted to keep one so bad, so the next day we went back and brought home a cute little cocker spaniel/terrier puppy, Buff is what they call her color. We could not decide on what to name her at first. While we ate lunch that day, we had RUFFLES potato chips and Josh made the comment to me, "hey mom, our puppy lookes like these, she is the same color and her hair is wavy too!" Hence the name for our dog RUFFLES! She was only 4 weeks old at the time and so we had to bottle fed her puppy formula for 2 weeks! What fun that was. She was easy to travel with, drove all the way from Arkansas back to Massachusetts with her in a shoe box! Once home she was easy to train. She became a big part of our family. The boys loved her, and played with her all the time, they took turns feeding her, letting her out, and even cleaned up after her! She grew fast, and was very protective of the boys. At bed time she would curl up on Daniel's bed and waited till he fell asleep before leaving his room, then she would go to Josh's room and do the same thing. She never stayed in there for the night, she slept by my bed or in the living room, but had to make sure we were all asleep first! After moving from Massachusetts to Wisconsin, she started having some problems. She had ear troubles, cockers are known for ear infections and getting large wax build up. Hers seem to get worse over the years. She became deaf, had a couple of surgeries on her ears for hemotoma's, which is the flap of the ear becoming full of blood. From that point on her ears were so tender and swollen we could hardly touch them. She just whined each time we touched her, they began to smell bad and the drainage from them was more than she could stand. She was constantly rubbing them on the ground, scratching them, and just plain miserable. We had to make a hard decision concerning her, about possibly putting her to sleep. It was the most difficult thing I have had to to for an animal, but knew it was for her own good. She was just miserable, could not lay down with out whining, scratching, or rubbing at her ears constantly. I could not let her go on like that. On January 22, 2003 we had her put to sleep. My husband Phil and I took her in and we held her the entire time. We both were in tears knowing we would miss her but also knowing it was the right thing to do. At first they gave her a sedative, she never liked going to the vet clinic anyway, she tried to fight that, we held her and pet her till she started to calm down. Then they came in for the final injection. Phil held her body while I held her head in my arms, I kissed her head as they put the needle in her, told her it was ok to go to sleep and she looked up at me as if to say OK, and laid her head down and she was gone. She went so peacefully. For the first time in a long time she was able to just lay down and close her eyes and go to sleep without all the scratching, rubbing and whining. I knew then we did the right thing. She will always be a part of out lives, she was 13 years old. WE LOVE HER AND MISS HER LOTS! See pictures below of our RUFFLES. On the left side she is 3 months old, on the right side 3 years old. Here she is 13 years old, and taken just a few hours before we had to take her to the vet. THE LAST BATTLE If it should be that I grow frail and weak And pain should keep me from my sleep, Then will you do what must be done, For this -- the last battle -- can't be won. You will be sad I understand, But don't let grief then stay your hand, For on this day, more than the rest, Your love and friendship must stand the test. We have had so many happy years, You wouldn't want me to suffer so. When the time comes, please, let me go. Take me to where to my needs they'll tend, Only, stay with me till the end And hold me firm and speak to me Until my eyes no longer see. I know in time you will agree It is a kindness you do to me. Although my tail its last has waved, From pain and suffering I have been saved. Don't grieve that it must be you Who has to decide this thing to do; We've been so close -- we two -- these years, Don't let your heart hold any tears. -- Unknown HUNTER "Feeling right at home with Dad and Garrett" Some wonderful people that I have been chatting online with for about 7 months contacted me with some good news. A friend of Craig's had a litter of black lab pups about 7 weeks old (12-10-02) and they were trying to sell them. It did not take long for me to call my husband and tell him about this male dog that I really wanted to get. I called the couple personally to talk with them about Labs and the puppy and when we were done I knew it was the dog for us. This wonderful couple Craig and Debbie (whom we have NEVER met) volunteered to drive this puppy to Owatoona Minnesota for us to pick up there, AND it was a great opportunity to meet them! They went to this friends house and took a few pictures for us and sent them via email. Once we saw the pictures we knew he was ours. We also named him "HUNTER" just from the pictures. So on February 1st we all headed off to Owatoona Minnesota to meet Craig and Debbie and get our new puppy. We drove 2 1/2 hours to get there and they drove 3 hours. We met at Cabela's and Garrett our son was so excited to see his new puppy "HUNTER". Meeting Craig and Debbie was wonderful, they are a great couple, and we all hit it off just great. We spent the afternoon with them, going out for lunch and walking thru Cabela's. Before we left we made plans to meet again. Since we have been home with Hunter he has done wonderful, goes outside on cue, behaves well, and will be going to puppy kindergarten starting February 24th. Then he will go to Basic obedience school. Right now he does great with all the daycare kids, he loves to play with them and they love him. He sleeps all night with no problems, and sleeps during the day in his kennel with all the kids jumping and playing around him. He will be a great daycare/family friend! Below are some pictures of Hunter. We will be adding more as he is growing fast! The one on the left is with Craig at 8 weeks old, one on the right he is playing dead! The one on the left they are waiting for "dad" to come home, and on the right he is 9 months old! 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While on vacation visiting my parents in Arkansas, one of my mothers friends called her to let her know her dog had puppies. My mother thought it would be nice for my boys to go see them. Well we did, and the boys loved them, they were the tinest, cutest little puppies they have ever seen. When we came home that is all we could talk about. Josh was 4 1/2 and Daniel was 1 1/2 years old. They wanted to keep one so bad, so the next day we went back and brought home a cute little cocker spaniel/terrier puppy, Buff is what they call her color. We could not decide on what to name her at first. While we ate lunch that day, we had RUFFLES potato chips and Josh made the comment to me, "hey mom, our puppy lookes like these, she is the same color and her hair is wavy too!" Hence the name for our dog RUFFLES! She was only 4 weeks old at the time and so we had to bottle fed her puppy formula for 2 weeks! What fun that was.
She was easy to travel with, drove all the way from Arkansas back to Massachusetts with her in a shoe box! Once home she was easy to train. She became a big part of our family. The boys loved her, and played with her all the time, they took turns feeding her, letting her out, and even cleaned up after her!
She grew fast, and was very protective of the boys. At bed time she would curl up on Daniel's bed and waited till he fell asleep before leaving his room, then she would go to Josh's room and do the same thing. She never stayed in there for the night, she slept by my bed or in the living room, but had to make sure we were all asleep first!
After moving from Massachusetts to Wisconsin, she started having some problems. She had ear troubles, cockers are known for ear infections and getting large wax build up. Hers seem to get worse over the years. She became deaf, had a couple of surgeries on her ears for hemotoma's, which is the flap of the ear becoming full of blood. From that point on her ears were so tender and swollen we could hardly touch them. She just whined each time we touched her, they began to smell bad and the drainage from them was more than she could stand. She was constantly rubbing them on the ground, scratching them, and just plain miserable.
We had to make a hard decision concerning her, about possibly putting her to sleep. It was the most difficult thing I have had to to for an animal, but knew it was for her own good. She was just miserable, could not lay down with out whining, scratching, or rubbing at her ears constantly. I could not let her go on like that.
On January 22, 2003 we had her put to sleep. My husband Phil and I took her in and we held her the entire time. We both were in tears knowing we would miss her but also knowing it was the right thing to do. At first they gave her a sedative, she never liked going to the vet clinic anyway, she tried to fight that, we held her and pet her till she started to calm down. Then they came in for the final injection. Phil held her body while I held her head in my arms, I kissed her head as they put the needle in her, told her it was ok to go to sleep and she looked up at me as if to say OK, and laid her head down and she was gone. She went so peacefully. For the first time in a long time she was able to just lay down and close her eyes and go to sleep without all the scratching, rubbing and whining. I knew then we did the right thing.
She will always be a part of out lives, she was 13 years old. WE LOVE HER AND MISS HER LOTS! See pictures below of our RUFFLES.
You will be sad I understand, But don't let grief then stay your hand, For on this day, more than the rest, Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years, You wouldn't want me to suffer so. When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend, Only, stay with me till the end And hold me firm and speak to me Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree It is a kindness you do to me. Although my tail its last has waved, From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you Who has to decide this thing to do; We've been so close -- we two -- these years, Don't let your heart hold any tears. -- Unknown
Some wonderful people that I have been chatting online with for about 7 months contacted me with some good news. A friend of Craig's had a litter of black lab pups about 7 weeks old (12-10-02) and they were trying to sell them. It did not take long for me to call my husband and tell him about this male dog that I really wanted to get. I called the couple personally to talk with them about Labs and the puppy and when we were done I knew it was the dog for us.
This wonderful couple Craig and Debbie (whom we have NEVER met) volunteered to drive this puppy to Owatoona Minnesota for us to pick up there, AND it was a great opportunity to meet them! They went to this friends house and took a few pictures for us and sent them via email. Once we saw the pictures we knew he was ours. We also named him "HUNTER" just from the pictures.
So on February 1st we all headed off to Owatoona Minnesota to meet Craig and Debbie and get our new puppy. We drove 2 1/2 hours to get there and they drove 3 hours. We met at Cabela's and Garrett our son was so excited to see his new puppy "HUNTER". Meeting Craig and Debbie was wonderful, they are a great couple, and we all hit it off just great. We spent the afternoon with them, going out for lunch and walking thru Cabela's. Before we left we made plans to meet again.
Since we have been home with Hunter he has done wonderful, goes outside on cue, behaves well, and will be going to puppy kindergarten starting February 24th. Then he will go to Basic obedience school. Right now he does great with all the daycare kids, he loves to play with them and they love him. He sleeps all night with no problems, and sleeps during the day in his kennel with all the kids jumping and playing around him. He will be a great daycare/family friend!
Below are some pictures of Hunter. We will be adding more as he is growing fast!
