Good-bye Nikki



Yes????

 Yesterday, our Schnauzer, Nikki, who was fifteen and a half years old passed away. While she had been showing her age for the past couple of years, on Saturday, she had a stroke and she never recovered. It really affected both Jo and I, but Jo had a perfect solution for the sadness we were both feeling. She wrote a lovely Blog about her fondest memories of Nikki. It made us both smile and laugh as we talked about our frisky little dog. Jo's thoughts and words were a palliative to the hurt we were both feeling and provided a lovely picture of our Nikki. Take a look here if you'd like a smile.

Nikki was one of two Schnauzers that Jo and I had; Norman passed away back in 2005 at the grand old age of 12. Nikki loved him very much and kept him young, especially when she was bored.

Following Norm around the yard, looking for a chance for a hip check.

If you told Nikki it was time for a walk and to go wake Norman up, she'd charge over to him barking until she startled him awake. Or if she wanted to play, she'd go over to him, asleep in his bed and bark in his face until he stumbled out of bed and then hip check him to get him going. Of course, she could always push things a bit too far..

OK, should have stopped there.

The funniest thing was when Jo and I took both Norman and Nikki for a walk. Norman hated going for long walks, much preferred puddling around in the garden, but if Jo went (he loved her), then we'd all head off as a family around the neighbourhood. The last portion of the return home was up the little hill on Beaconsfield Crescent. We would always make a race of it and sure enough, Nikki, the competitive one, would run over to Norman and grab his leash and pull him up the hill. Of course, he being the gentle dog he was, would just follow her.

Jo will tell you that Nikki was my dog and in many ways I guess she was. I'd had her for about 7 years when Jo came into our lives. Nikki was definitely suspicious about this new lady in our house. But with me at work and Jo around the house all day long and throwing them into the car with her everywhere she went, Nikki soon warmed to her.

Nikki and her pet, Jo. OK, she's OK. ;0)

As Jo said in her thoughts on Nikki, she was a tart who loved to be in front of the camera. She also had an endless curiosity.

Is that for me? Smells good anyway

There are so many fond memories of her. Everywhere we look, she is there. In her last couple of years, she had many aches and pains but she still wanted to go for walks 4 or 5 times a day; we just didn't go quite so far. She still liked to try and chase after the neighbourhood dogs even if she wasn't quite so fast. She was a little spark plug.

To me she was always a little firecracker and I always had this wish, sort of silly, to get her a Mohawk when we took her to the groomer. But I always changed my mind when I got there. Well last time my daughter, Jennifer, and her boyfriend were here, I finally got up the nerve and asked Lindy, our groomer, if she could leave a little Mohawk when she finished grooming Nikki. And Lindy went a bit further and did us proud. The result was wonderful and it's Nikki through and through. I leave you with the final picture of Nikki, the little dog that Jo and I love so very much. Jo and I know that she and Norman are once again happy together.