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Anyway, this is a page about me, so let me tell you all about myself! I'm a mixed breed dog. My canine mom was a blue merle Shetland sheepdog and my dad was a puzzle. ;o) He was probably a terrier of some kind because, although I have the same coloring as my mom, I have a terrier face. I was born at the end of Oct. 1988, and came to live with my family when I was eight weeks old. I was tiny! Even my feline brother, Snuggles, was bigger than me. I had another brother, too, a very old hound dog named Sunshine. He was okay, but Snuggles was my best non-human friend. I was sad when Sunshine went to the Rainbow Bridge and I missed him very much. Even more sadly, in April 1999, Snuggles also had to be helped to the Rainbow Bridge. I also have a little sister, Shadow. She tries to be good, but I'm afraid of her because she's hurt me. Mommy says when I squeak and try to run away, Shadow thinks I've turned into a squirrel. I think Shadow has to be pretty silly to mistake me for a squirrel--I'm much bigger and cuter than a squirrel. But anyway, I can't help trying to get away and she can't seem to help trying to catch and eat me, so Mommy just keeps us apart. One of my favorite things to do, besides sleep in a sunny spot on the rug, is chasing the birdies! I've never caught any. They cheat--they fly away. I'm getting older and a little stiff. Our veterinarian says my vision is deteriorating, too--I have something called lenticular sclerosis, which is a clouding of the lens (I think that's what he said). I sometimes can't see the birdies very well, but I still get around just fine. I'm bouncy and a little noisy (Mommy says I'm a lot noisy--she doesn't know what "a lot" is). All in all, I'm a happy girl. Probably a cookie would make me even happier! |
| On the second day of 2002, Cricket was released from the pain and indignities her aging body had inflicted on her and made her way to the Rainbow Bridge. She was 13 years old, and for every day of those 13 years, she was a delight. Cricket never met a person - or a cookie - she didn't love on sight, and a person with a cookie was her forever friend. When Cricket first came to us, she was tiny, only three pounds! She was so small she could fit inside the sleeve of a quilted flannel shirt. She loved to snuggle in there, especially when that sleeve contained her human's arm--it was so toasty warm and loaded with the scent of her human. She was unbelievably soft, a mass of fluff. Running my hands through her fur was a joy. And of course she loved that, too. When she was a young dog, Cricket's favorite game was chasing the birds and squirrels. So what if they cheated by flying away or running up a tree? She even knew the words "birdies" and "squirrelly squirrels" and hearing them would cause her to run to the door and dance in gleeful anticipation. As she aged, she stopped being able to see the birds and squirrels very well...and finally could no longer hear those words she loved so much. Cricket adored her kitties, every one of them--even the feral cats. Strangely, the ferals had no fear of her and even tried to rub against her. And the feline members of our family always treated her as if she was just another cat. She was great with other dogs, too, and attended gatherings of friends from Canine-L as well as several German shepherd parties, enjoying both the attention and the socialization. I'll never forget the trip Cricket and I made to a friend's wedding, a gathering of German shepherd owners, complete with dogs. Cricket, the single non-GSD in a sea of GSDs, was perfectly content and at ease to the extent that when all the big dogs went racing after a toy, she ran merrily in their wake. At the age of 11 her body began to give out, but she carried on bravely for another two years before we couldn't let her suffering continue. That final morning was beautiful, cold but sunny. She ended her life as she lived it--trusting Mommy not to let anything bad happen to her. Goodbye my treasure. You will always retain your hold on our hearts. |
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![[Cricket lying on the deck]](images/crik2.jpg)
I'm Cricket. Really, I'm Cricket CGC because I'm a Canine Good Citizen. I got letters after my name when I played some fun games with my mommy and a lady called a "tester". I had to walk nicely on a leash without pulling and let strangers pat me and brush me--like this was hard or something!