"Dogs That Have Shared My Life" Personal Page by CdnJane

Bailey has been the only dog that was truly mine, purchased and looked after. My former-husband and I decided that we would get a dog, since we didn't have children. He wanted a puppy, and I really had wanted to get an older dog, knowing that I was not good at training. We looked at some poodles, but didn't connect with the breeder well - they were kennel raised dogs, not home raised. Then we decided upon a bichon frise, as they are non-shedding dogs, good for allergies. We saw her mother, and her father - unfortunately she was not a purebred, as her mother was a bit of a tramp, sleeping with 2 dogs - Bailey's Dad was a Havanese - multi-coloured. Bailey had a little black tuft of hair on her ear, so she couldn't be registered. We weren't showing or breeding, so that wasn't a problem. She was only with us for a year, when my husband's illness got worse and I couldn't cope with the 2 of them. Unfortunately, I got a new home for Bailey. It was with a retired couple, who she has wrapped around her little white paw!

Young Jane and Sari at the Beach circa 1962

Sari came to us from Nova Scotia, and her arrival must have been horribly difficult for her, as she was flown to Toronto in a crate. We had a cat at the time, Ginger, and they well, got along like cat and dog. Ginger gave the poor jet-lagged pup a cuff across the nose with her claws. Ginger was the one who moved on to another home.
Samoyeds need lots of exercise and to be kept active. A home with a pre-schooler, and a father who was on the road a lot, was just not the place for her. She chewed - socks, and furniture. My mother remembers coming upstairs and finding that she had chewed on the stool where I was sitting. "Why didn't you stop her, or call me?" "But, Mommy, I was watching Captain Kangaroo on tv!"
Sari found a new home at my cousin's grandparents' farm where she was deliriously happy. She would herd the cows to bring them in for milking. I guess she didn't realise that they pretty much had the routine down, but she felt like she was doing something useful, and that her ancestors did with reindeer.
Unfortunately, a neighbour across the road gave her treats when she came over, and Sari was hit by a car. Her legs/pelvis was too badly broken to set properly and she was put to sleep.
The picture was taken up at my grandparents' cottage where there was lots of sand to run on, and seagulls to try to catch or herd!

Jane with Penny and Tessie circa 1972

This picture was taken back in about 1972 at my cousin's farm. Tessie is on the right, at about 18 months old. Her "cousin" Penny is on the left - I'm the tall one in the middle. Penny and Tessie had great times playing together - Afghans "box" up on their backlegs, and Penny would box with her. I've only seen standard poodles box the same way.
Tessie was like a calf, when we got her, all legs and not a lot of coordination. She loved to run at full speed at you and dodge at the last minute, the problem being that you never knew which way she was going to turn, and I got hit a few times. She wasn't known for her obedience - unless the reward was substantial and tasty... and she wanted to obey.
I think Tessie epitomized the phrase "barking up the wrong tree", as she would chase a squirrel up a tree, and it would run one way and she would run the other, and then stand and bark! The squirrels loved to tease her, and I think were quite lost for entertainment when she died at the age of 14.
She was a loveable family member with her own habbits. When she wanted out, she would stand at the door and woof. If that didn't get any attention she would stamp her feet. If you were reading the paper she would shove it up out of the way with her nose. If told that she could not come into the living room, she would slowly crawl into the room down on her belly. When we would go to lift her up and carry her out, she would either go limp so it was difficult to get her, or use those long legs to keep you away, rolling back and forth on her back!
She was certainly a great friend to have, and for years after she was gone we still kept doors closed so she wouldn't get out. As my cousin's daughter reassured my mother after Tessie died, "She's up there in dog heaven, running and jumping around playing with BJ (her grandparents' dog who died a couple of months before)"

When I was 7 we got a pug, whom I immediately named Ping, because I had just read a story about a Chinese bird named Ping, and as the Pug originated in China, it seemed to fit. Her mother's name was Empress and we purchased her at Camp (now Base) Borden, and the Lee? Well, that just sounded good with Ping!
Ping was a lot of fun - she snored, and since she slept at the top of the stairs near the dining room, the sound got a lot of funny looks when we had company! She loved carrots and went crazy when my mother brought out the vegetable peeler.
I became sick, and while I was in bed, my parents allowed her to sleep with me. Finally the doctor realised that I had allergies - to the feather pillow, and the dog dander! We found a wonderful family who had a little girl that Ping just loved. She lived a happy long life with that family.
I have to find a picture of her to post.