Monday 23 April 2007

~ Sheba ~

When I started this blog, it was mainly about the dogs. Somehow I was distracted along the way and added other non related thoughts in as well. Then I got distracted elsewhere (actually....the word ' lazy ' keeps coming up....)

Anyway....I said I'd be blogging on the rest of the dogs at home but I couldn't find any suitable pictures of them and yes again, distracted. Also, the dogs at mum's are never happy with the camera and especially Sheba, she was the hardest to stay quiet enough to get a good shot.

Sheba came to our home from a pet shop. The boys fell in love with her and promised they'll do the works for her. How untrue. Sigh.... So the rest of us took care of her along with the others while they sought her when they took a break from their games or telly.

We were told that she is of japanese poodle and cocker mix. All I can say, she is not a real beauty but she is kinda cute in her own way. She always had this excitement about her. Her tail never stops wagging whenever she sees us and it is mostly difficult to pat her without having to tell her to lay down first. She'd be so jumpy and lots of endless licking..... Each time I see her, I have to say ' Down ' and she lays down on her belly eagerly for coming affections.

Sheba is adorable with her endless hyper energy. A kind of nervous energy yet happy and always excited. She used to get Guzz in trouble with his father as she got them all excited with her bounding energy and wrecklessness. The two of them would run all over the place and anything that was in their way....well, let's just say they never saw them.

Yes, Samo would eventually get fed up with the frenzied behaviour of these two and he would step in and try to stop (or get involved) and gets all riled up when it becomes too much for him and so... Guzz gets snapped at. Snapping at Sheba would just set her off in the other direction whereas Guzz in his later years decided to return his father's snaps and that became a different matter if not controlled.

Sheba, Samo and Sayang were all about the same age when they joined our household in their own time. After the first year, Samo hooked up with Sayang and that's how we have Guzz. Then when Guzz cleared his first year, Sheba had a batch of two puppies whom I called Casper and Rascal.

Best joke is, we still don't actually know who is the father as each pup looks like the two heros at home. Yes....Rascal looked exactly like Samo with the same long legs and short coat and hair colour. Casper on the other hand bore Guzz's features as a pup from colour to hair texture.

Sheba as a mother remained the little girl she'd always been. Playful and energetic. We gave the two pups away when they were bigger. She carried on the same as always.

Sheba is tied in the back kitchen every evening, a few feet apart from Samo. Yes, we do tie them as they get rather rowdy and into the garden patch where mum and maid pride in their green thumbs. So every chance we get, we let them loose for a few hours with a very watchful eye.

She always knew when there was someone eating in the kitchen. She'd get up and stare at you, tail wagging, hoping for a crumb or piece. Even when she is being antisocial, all you need to do is to rustle a bag of food and she's standing there peering into the doorway to see what you are having.

Recently Sheba had some very bad skin problem, fungus or bacteria related. The vet gave me a wash and some bath solution for her along with some antibiotics etc. Her skin cleared up a bit and she started gaining back her appetite. I left on the 14th for work overseas and got home yesterday i.e. the 22nd.

I looked for her and asked the maid how was she doing. Maid got all quiet and I knew. Sheba was no longer with us. Seems she had lost her appetite again a few days later and had gotten weaker. The vet said it was kinder to put her to sleep as she didn't seem to be getting better. So on friday the 20th, dear Sheba had gone to dog heaven.

As mum said "She won't be staring at me whenever I am eating. RIP" In other words... We will miss her funny face and hyper energy. Love you Sheba.