Animals Continued with Dogs

Brozville in Minocqua, Wisconsin, was originally a three season arrangement,and we had to close all the buildings and drain all the water pipes each fall. Then in the spring in late May, we would open everything and hope no water pipes were broken. Then, when summer vacation started, Dorothy and the children with San dog would move from Hillside, to stay there for the summer. San dog enjoyed the area, and she loved drinking the lake water right from the lake.
Later when I retired,and San dog getting older, I noticed a tumor in her abdomen. She was not eating her food, but she was drinking a lot of lake water. At this time our finances were very strained, and our dog seriously ill, going to the Vet was not financially possible. Dorothy told me that her father would put their sick dog to sleep by using the exhaust from the car. She said that he would put a tarp over the tail pipe of the car and the dog, and then he would start the car. So I thought I could that so I got it all set up. Then I started the car and covered San dog with the tarp. I held her there until there was no more movement. Then I started to cry. All the while I was digging her grave, my face was wet with running tears. I told myself that I would not ever want to do that again, and did not want any more dogs.
Not so. A few years later my daughter and her family were visiting when our church was having a chicken cook out, and we were one of the last ones to leave. Somehow a small dog evidently smelling the food got into the basement hall where they were serving the meals and he followed us out. We were thinking that he would head for his home where he belonged, but to our surprise, instead he jumped into our van through the open back door. Trying to get him out, he jumped into the middle seat. The children pleaded not to chase him out, because the other animals would eat him up seeing that we are living in the woods with black bears. So reluctantly I kept him in the car hoping that someone would claim him in a day or two. No one showed up. so we had another dog. This was a male miniature apricot poodle, a rather expensive breed. I named him Jacque Pierre, because one of the girl's name was Jackie.
My experience with poodles was that they like to run away,and that is how I got this one.So whenever we went out, I would put on a leash on Jacque, because by nature,poodles are hunting dogs.After several months of walking him on a leash so that he he would know where he lived. So one day we are out for a walk I let him off the leash. He ran up the hill, I called his name, and he stopped, looked over his shoulder, and then continued running up the hill. I was still outside when I heard the yelping of a dog. I could recognize his voice, and sure enough, he came running back down the road with a clump of fur,1 inch in diameter, missing from his rib cage. I believe that some raccoon got a mouth full of Jacque's fur, pulled right out without tearing the skin.
As years go on,dogs age quicker then men, 7 for 1 year for man, he was showing signs of old age. He developed cataracts in both eyes, and he was losing his hearing. It was time to put him down. Dorothy said she would take him to the Vet. while we were all crying at home. She was the brave one. No more dogs.