A Westie Was My Pet

It was a beautiful winter day and the land was covered with white and fluffy snow. The dogs have played in the snow and I tried to make a snowman. Yes, I tried because these two playful dogs have always destroyed the snowballs.

After many attempts I made the first snowball, I put it on a sledge and I carried it in the place I wanted to make a snowman. When I've finished the second snowball I put this on the sledge, too. Suddenly the sledge started to move away from me. I thought my brother has tried to fool me, but when I looked forward I saw the giant Schnautzer, his name was Rocky, holding the rope in his mouth and pulling the sledge. He was very intelligent , but I don't know what made him pull the sledge. I think he considered this a good opportunity to play, but who knows what was in his mind?! Rocky helped me to carry the last snowball, and I finally made the snowman.

My snowman didn't had a long life. No no, it wasn't due to warm winter days and no, the snowman hasn't melted.It didn't have time to melt. I think he stayed in that corner where I put it only for a few hours, because these two unruly dogs destroyed it while they played in the yard.
It was a very nice period from my childhood and those scenes make me smile even today. I really miss those times !

As we know life does not consist only of beautiful things.

The years have passed, people have changed, I grew up and I went to University. Suddenly everything has changed and the world has turned upside down when I received a phone call and was told that my parents have moved in a block of flats. In the same year I got married, so the events succeeded each other in a hurry and has slowed down very hard.

How these changes affected my dog? Nobody wanted to believe that he really suffered, and didn't like the fact that my parents have moved from the house. He was thirteen years old, this is a respectable age for a dog, and when my father took him for a walk, he ran away and turned back to his old home. It took one month until he understood that he has a new home.

It was summer and we, my husband and I, came home to spend the holiday at home.

One day my parents and we decided to go for a walk and we took the dog, too. When we turned back from walking, my dog found food near a neighbour's door (this neighbour always gave food to my dog).

It was evening and we prepared to have dinner. We didn't imagine that we will be awake for all night long.

So, we sat in the kitchen when suddenly our dog began to vomit blood. My husband, who is a veterinary doctor, consulted the dog and told me that he might be poisoned and he has run for his bag. I asked my husband if he could treat him, but he was already seeking drugs and infusion. He answered me that he is not God and we should prepare for the worst, but he will do his best.I knew that.

It was nine a clock in the evening when I sat near my dog. In the next hours it can be heard just a few words like: hold his leg, leave him, push, don't push, give me this and give me that.

Suddenly my dog raised his head and tried to catch my husband's hand. He did not want to bite him, he just wanted to tell us not to give him injections He was very weak but it seemed to gain more and more power."Maybe he is all right but we have to wait" , I heard my husband.

I looked at the clock, it was three in the morning. Vuk, this was my dog's name, stood up and wanted to go out." If he returns he will be all right" said my husband and took out the dog.Of course, they came back and finally we went to sleep.

On next morning Vuk was still weak and my husband gave him medicines again . We drank coffee when my dog entered the kitchen. He was "Welcomed" warmly, but he went straight to my husband, he licked his hand and sat down on his foot. My husband smiled. I looked at him and I said: "I think this means Thank you, Doc!"

There is another small story which, I think, it worth to mention.

In October 2000 I gave birth to my small, but beautiful daughter. When we went home from hospital the whole family waited us.
My parents came to help us and they had to bring our dog, too, because he suffered every time when he was left at home, he didn't want to eat and drink, so we were afraid not to starve to death. We found him a place where he could stay without any problem.

But a Westie is not Westie if he isn't curious. He knew he can walk everywhere, and now he does not understand why he isn't allowed in one of the rooms .I don't know how but he always managed to enter the room when I opened the door. He sat down and looked at the cradle very attentive. He even stood up on two legs, but he never touched the cradle.
I called my husband and I asked him to help me because I want to show him who is in cradle. Then, I took my daughter gently in my arms, in this way he saw who is in cradle. My dog looked at my daughter, he turned back and went out from room. In that moment I wished to be able to read what is in his mind.

After this scene, I noticed that when everyone left the room where my daughter slept , Vuk sneaked in and sat down in a corner far from cradle . I was curious why he did this.

I did the housework when I saw that Vuk looked to the cradle ; he stood up and came out in the lobby . My daughter woke up and she played with her small hands. And then I understood that actually he has guarded the cradle.

My parents went home and everything became normal, we had a nice Christmas and New Year , and no one has noticed how time has fled and was again spring. The Nature woke up, spring flowers have bloomed and the sun was warmer.

We celebrated Easter in three, we had red eggs and in this beautiful day we took our young lady for a walk .

Everything was so perfect . Two days later I got a phone call and when I heard my mother's voice I already knew that something bad has happened. She told met that my good old dog isn't in this world anymore, he fell asleep forever. He was very old, he was 17 years old and according to dog encyclopedias a Westie can live for 20 years.

I learned many things from that small and wise dog, it was interesting for me to understand his behavior and I can say that he helped me to know more about dogs. He was small but very smart.
We often talk about Vuk and I tell my daughter about his adventures.