Together again.
I hate to be maudlin, I really do. Especially when there’s already so much bad news around. But I can’t let the day pass without acknowledging this beautiful girl who got to cross the Rainbow Bridge today.
Dolce, an American-bred German Shepherd, was born in November, 2007. To say she was a “Good Girl” would be such a gross understatement. This dog epitomized what it meant to be Man’s (or Woman’s) Best Friend.
We fostered this sweet pup for nearly four of her fourteen years for a dear family friend, who visited her almost every weekend during that time. Dolce was obedient, playful, and really, really smart. She had a beautiful smile and readily gave kisses. Loved her walks. Obsessed over our cat, Moesha, but never made an aggressive move on her. Oh, and she did get skunked a couple of times. Shown below with our late Golden, Dolce and Sandie played well together. How blessed we were to have them both.
Dolce was an original “Velcro” dog. She didn’t like to be alone, and preferred her people to be with her when she went outside. Inside, she spent many hours lying under my desk while I worked. Unless, of course, Moesha appeared in the room. (See photo, right).
Dolce & Sandie: Master Beggers.
At some point, Emelia joined us. When Dolce’s mom would bring her for visits, the two would scamper around the yard and play-bite each others’ ears. (Sandie, of course, would just shake her shaggy head and walk away.) This was about the extent of their friendship, as Melie is also a Velcro dog and unfortunately, they both couldn’t stick to me at the same time. At best, they simply co-existed. But I had enough love for them all.
Sandie crossed the Bridge in 2016. Her loss was, and still is, felt deeply. This left Dolce with only our crazy Shibrador to play with. 🙂
She had many names. “Fireplace Face,” “Firehose Nose,” and “The Snout” among them. We once got a piece of mail from the vet addressed to “DOKE” – we figured out that someone had interpreted a hand-written ‘l’ and ‘c’ together to make a “K”. It stuck, and we started calling her “Doke.”
For those who’ve asked, our girl developed DM (degenerative myelopathy), which was kept under control for a long while. And I know you’ll agree that 14+ years is a good run for a big dog like Dolce. German Shepherds reach their seniority once they turn 7 years of age, and most live around a decade. Average lifespan is said to be 9 – 13 years. But these are just numbers. That Dolce lived as long as she did is a testament to her loving mom and caregiver, Cass. It takes tremendous commitment and dedication to raise a dog to full maturity, and even more to know when it’s time to “call it,” as she said to me. Our broken hearts will never fully mend. But it’s comforting to imagine that Dolce is running happy and free with Sandie, because we know that all dogs go to heaven. Amen, right?
