It's been a while since I shared any stories
about my lovely little sidekick; my
pocketbook sized dog Sadie the Maltipoo. It is hard to believe when one looks at her cute face, she terrorized our family for the first few years of our lives together. Yelping late at night, leaving us presents, scaling barriers to keep her and the house safe, she wreaked havoc. Years ago when my son went off to sleep away camp, came home, then jetted off to spend two weeks in the Hamptons with my parents, Sadie was beyond stressed and as a way of telling us she didn't like what was happening, she turned our wall to wall carpet into a Jackson Pollock exhibit. We were so concerned, we took her to the vet. After umpteen tests, the Vet said to my husband "you know these little white haired dogs tend to get stressed out easily." My husband replied "After $750 and countless tests, you are telling me my dog has Agida?!" Thankfully, she's mellowed out considerably and is the pinnacle of a great, well housebroken dog (truth be told, sometimes she still has accidents). Sadie the Maltipoo has morphed into the most amazing and trusted companion.
For the past year, I've been working from home and now being CCG for my mom, Sadie has been by my side every day. And I don't know what I would do without her. It has been such a joy to have Sadie follow me around the house, up and down the stairs, cozying up in my office on a fuzzy blanket, next to me on the couch, or in her bed at the end of the day (next to mine). Our routine has evolved and I don’t want to jinx it.
As an added bonus, Sadie now enjoys traveling in the car with me to and from my mom’s house since we put a bucket seat in my car. She can now see out the window. The days of getting her in the car and shaking uncontrollably are over. When I call out to Sadie and say “we are going to Grandma’s” she runs to the
bottom stair for me to leash her. Her excitement does not go unnoticed as she is the one who leads me to the car and waits patiently for me to open the door and secure her in her seat. Her wagging tail says it all. Sadie is now a great traveler and one day, I hope to go on a longer road trip but for now, the 20 minute ride from Raleigh to Durham will have to suffice.
Not only has Sadie morphed into my constant companion, she has evolved into an incredible comfort provider and pseudo therapy dog. Sadie provides an unlimited amount of love, affection and reassurance. I say pseudo because she was never well trained, ignores most of my commands unless of course, she wants something, more specifically food.
Now that my mother is undergoing chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer, some of the side effects have kept her close to home. Sadie and I now travel to her house every day to help out and keep her
company. Upon our arrival into her development, she starts to chirp from excitement from the back seat. Truth be told, she really does sound like a cross between a baby and a chicken, whining. When I take her out of her car seat, she runs to the front door as she knows what awaits her. The first 20 minutes in my mom’s house Sadie sniffs around the house licking up dropped crumbs, and ultimately finds her way to my mother who is waiting with welcoming and open arms. Watching Sadie settle in, is like she owns the place. Perched up on my mom’s lap, Sadie inherently knows that she is needed and has work to do.
The unlimited amount of comfort this little dog provides to my mom is boundless and all-important. I sit in awe as my mom and Sadie close their eyes and drift off for a nap. When I hear the loud sigh first from Sadie and then my mother I know both are fully relaxed. It’s pretty amazing to watch Sadie nuzzle in and administer her special comfort care. It's pure magic. It's heartwarming. And, it’s beautiful.
Not only is she providing the much needed comfort, she has taken to guarding the house of intruders.
At the conclusion of my mother's radiation, we were ready to retire the reinforced mask made specifically to cover her face and shoulders so she wouldn't move during treatments. A good friend and loving neighbor, a talented artist in her own right, decorated the mask with a special theme in mind, Mardi Gras. However, once Sadie saw the mask, she was having none of that!
Knowing that Sadie can provide such unabashed comfort, warmth and love to my mom when she needs more TLC and provide protection is an amazing thing to witness. I am quite certain Sadie has enough love and comfort for both of us, the rest of the family, and anyone else who needs a little more love in their life. If you do, I'll have to check her schedule, as she is booked solid for the next several years.
Who knew that a little white haired dog with major anxiety would be the calming force for me and my beautifully fierce mother. Sadie has definitely earned her promotion!
So cute! Love those videos:-)
Dogs are the best!!!