Asha Posha Piddle Pants

OK, that was Asha's nickname...Asha Posha Piddle Pants. Only because when she had to potty, she let you know.... and you had approximately 2 minutes to let her out, or it was going to be a little puddle... on the couch, on the bed...wherever. We think her bladder may have been damaged at some point (tossed from a moving car...perhaps?) But it was OK. It was who she was and managed it really well.

So, Asha's tribute week has come to an end, and I will finish by posting some other fun photos of her.

Gone, but NEVER forgotten. Rest in peace, sweet Asha Posha!

One Week Without Asha

It's been exactly one week tonight that we lost our Asha girl. While she won't be able to come and help me out at dog rescue events anymore, she will be coming along in spirit. She is the reason I rescue those dogs who are less fortunate.

What I will miss the most about Asha:

1. Her loud dreams- she must have been always chasing something exciting!

2. Snoring in my office

3. Getting all wound up when I ask "Do you want to go for a walk?"

4. Her little hula wiggle butt 

5. Picking on Neelah 

6. Laying in the yard peacefully, while the other 3 dogs chase frisbees & balls around her like freaks

7. Sun naps

8. Leg stretches on you in the morning to "help" wake you up

9. Sucking on her kong like a "baa baa" (bottle)

10. Her sweet, gentle nature

Asha will never be forgotten ...

It was a hard week, that is for sure. I keep turning around and expect her to be there, waiting for me to drop some food on the ground so she can vacuum it up. Wiggling her butt. One less dog in the house just feels weird. It still doesn't feel right when I give everyone night-night treats.... I feel like I am missing something. Oh, I am. I am missing Asha.

Asha & Her Pack

Asha enjoyed being a part of a pack. She had a different relationship with each of the dogs.

 Neelah was her favorite. Most favorite to torment! She was constantly picking on her - pulling at her ears, trying to engage her in play, chasing her and barking at her.

When Asha came to live with us, she was scared of everything. She almost just shut down and slept for that entire first month - healing inside and out. She had no idea how to interact with other dogs. After about 1 month...one day... Asha and Neelah just let loose and started playing like gangbbusters. They became best buddies that day.

 Asha did most of the tormenting - not letting Neelah come up the stairs, or guarded the door and wouldn't let her outside. She would get all wild when Neelah came in from the field and just chased her around the yard and tried to get her to interact. It was a silly bond that they shared, chasing, rolling, biting... my favorite was when they were both in my office. Neelah would be laying there, and Asha would come up and puppy bow. Then, they started playing. Neelah would simply put a paw on top of Asha's head, saying... "I own you, little red dog." Their antics were so silly. 

Treo was the little bratty brother that always took things a little too far. He barked a lot when they played, and that made Asha nuts. She had to tell him off. A lot. They didn't play often, but when they did, she was sure to be the winner.

And as for Tazer .... he tried SOOO hard to get her attention. She wouldn't give him the time of day. He was a low man on the totem pole, and not worth her time or attention. He would puppy bow her, and she would sit there, ignoring him.

Our pack was/is a great pack. We have had many adventures, and we plan to have many more. The pack seemed very calm the first couple days of her absence, but everyone seems to know what has happened, and life continues. Neelah did wait at the top of the stairs to bust her chops after coming out of kennels one morning, but Asha wasn't there. Some days I think Neelah is such a diva, that she doesn't even notice that Asha is gone. But then I wonder- I think she knows very well. Neelah got to spend time with Asha during her last few hours at home. Dogs know when something is up. I love my pack.

Asha the Adventurer

Asha LOVED to get out of the house and go on adventures. She loved to go hiking at a local nature area where she could just run off-leash and be wild.

As soon as we turned the corner into the park, she would start whining- she new what fun was in store! The first part of the hike she would be out in front -galloping along and checking things out. By the end, she would be trailing behind me, right on my heels.

She also loved to go for walks. Anywhere. If you said "Want to go for a walk?" she would go wild. She would start running and spinning and barking. She loved getting out of the house and seeing new sights. Once you picked up the leash, she knew some fun was in store!

One of Asha's favorite places to walk was a frozen yogurt shop. We could walk from our house, it was a nice 2.5 mile walk roundtrip. We would get frozen yogurt and sit outside and enjoy it. Of course, Asha knew she would eventually get a spoonful. She would get so excited and start whining as soon as we got there - she knew it was treat night!

Asha even enjoyed tagging along at agility trials sometimes. (If there were lots of treats involved) She was shy around lots of people, but she was able to seek out her friends and she always wiggled her butt when she saw them.

Beddie Bye Asha

One of Asha's favorite "pastimes" was snuggling in bed. She had so many dog beds, she was in heaven. 

She loved to be covered up like a person, and she often laid her head on a little pillow.

Some nights, she would head upstairs and put herself to bed.

On some occasions, she would share her bed.

And sometimes, she'd lay in the big people bed. She was always ready to sleep in on a rainy, cold day!

Asha's Sunshine

Asha LOVED laying in the sun. She would lay there for so long, she would wake up panting. The cats only allowed her to lay there with them in the sunshine. They knew she was no threat, and she never gave them any attitude. (Unlike some other canine members of the family!)

Whether it was inside or outside - she loved soaking up the sun.

I don't know if it was because she had a low thyroid and she got chilly, but she would sit by the front door, waiting for me to open it, so she had her daily dose of Vitamin D. I will miss walking down the steps from my office, and seeing her all sprawled out in the sun, snoozing away- without a care in the world.

Asha's Beginnings

As a tribute to our special girl who left us all too soon, I am going to post some photos of Asha that tell her story throughout the week.

This is the first time we ever met Asha. She was scared, very emaciated, and she had just had FHO surgery on a leg that had been dislocated. She was not thriving in the kennels at the Nebraska Humane Society, so they asked if we could foster her. 

We knew we could get her rehabbed and ready to be adopted. After getting her home and seeing what a gentle spirit she was, we knew she was going to be a "foster failure". With all of my volunteer hours at the NHS, I was able to adopt her for a mere $7! Best seven bucks I ever spent.

Part of Asha's rehab therapy was swimming. She was not a big fan of water, but she bucked it up and swam anyway. It helped her start to use her leg, which she mainly just drug around. After months of swimming, walking, and massage - Asha really began to use her leg!

Saying Goodbye to Asha

It is with a heavy heart that I post this....

Last night we lost our dear Asha, who had just turned 9 years old. She got sick suddenly, and we were able to keep her stable for a short while. But in the end, it was her time to go. I was lucky enough to have taken her for a great walk the evening before. She wiggled her butt happily when I fed her dinner yesterday. She was a foster dog from the Nebraska Humane Society who had a dislocated leg (thrown from a moving car was the suspect) and was starving. She needed a place to thrive, and our home was that place. Her name means "Hope". Neelah took her under her wing, and they were fast friends. Asha went on to be trained in agility. Even though it was not her favorite thing, she ended up competing a few times. She was the cheerleader of the pack, always happy to ride along, lay on the couch, go for a walk, or torment Neelah. She definitely marched to the beat of her own drum. She got us into rescue, and because of her, many great dogs have been placed in wonderful homes. Asha was a gentle soul, and she had quite the silly personality. She would lay in my home office all day with me, snoring quite loudly at times. That office will seem a lot quieter from now on. I will miss looking over and seeing her passed out cold while I am on a conference call. Our hearts are broken, we have a strange emptiness where this little girl used to be. I know in time, we will heal, but we are sad that she was taken from us too soon. You can never prepare for a loss of a furry family member. Luckily, I have about 1 million photos of her. I know she is already watching over us while we grieve. The other dogs are very calm and seem to know what's going on. I have set up a shrine in her honor, complete with her favorite treats- frozen yogurt, a kong, and cookies. In fact, we had been walking about once a week to a local frozen yogurt place, and she would get so demanding for her spoonfuls of frozen yogurt. Walks and frozen yogurt were her favorite things. Asha, we miss you so much. We were not ready for you to leave us. We were so lucky to have you in our lives.

Puppy Fun

Deer Breath

My morning bike rides have been COLD! We even had a freeze warning and I had to cover all the new plants! This deer was romping one morning, and then stopped, panting. I guess with the chilly weather, she was feeling good!

A Warning

The Big Guy

I love my big guy. That is all.

Good Morning, Bike Path!

Now that it is getting lighter earlier, I have been able to jump back into my routine of bike-riding before work. Thankfully, the weather has cooperated and I've started biking almost a month and a half ahead of schedule! It's nice to see the lake filling up, and there are tons of critters returning. The path is all but empty, except for a few familiar faces who head out at the same time I do. We wave, stop and chat for a quick moment, or just holler a "Good morning!" as we go our separate ways. It's such a delightful way to start the day.  I used to always listen to music as I biked...now I bike silently so I can keep my ears open for wildlife. I am fortunate to have this great path pretty much in my backyard.

Nature Is Funny

Silly Cardinal, he is not your rival..he is your reflection!