From Rick (T1D) and his loving wife, Sheryl, on their cherished fur baby, who has passed over the Rainbow Bridge.  These wonderful little creatures make our lives so much richer and happier … we are blessed.

Samantha has passed from the earth but never from our hearts.  We knew little Samantha when she came to live with us;  She had arrived at a cocker spaniel rescue in the hopes that someone might take her, along with her many allergy issues. 

We saw her picture in a local newspaper, and we fell in love with her freckles.  You might wonder why Sheryl picked her out?  It was the freckles on her face.  It is strange what makes for attraction, but it was those freckles that brought her to us—a perfect match.

Two days later, Samantha was living with us.  She brought with her, her name and her freckles, and lived with us for six years.  At that time, Samantha was a trusted and loving companion to me as I wrote my dissertation.  She sat at my feet every day, enduring my jokes and stories.  She would often turn her head or sigh if I had told that one too many times.  Regardless of the company, Samantha stuck with me, watching and waiting to show concern about swollen feet, high or low blood sugar, or feeling grumpy.  She made sure I gave her a rub or a scratch each day. 

Samantha loved popcorn and she was the self-appointed guardian of my health.  As Sheryl was working outside of the house every day, Samantha made sure to report to Sheryl each day if she was concerned about my health. 

When I found that my dissertation was approved. I bestowed on her the first and only (as far as I know) Doctorate of Dogdom. 

We miss Samantha each day. We know she is in a better place, but miss her at my feet, demanding popcorn at 10:00 PM sharp and playing my little games or enduring my stories. 

The pictures show her over the years, from shortly after we got her to her more mature self.  She loved to hang under my desk while I wrote my dissertation and did homework.  Of course, she loved her bed, with her name on it. maybe one of her top five places to hang out (including the couch, a chair, the fireplace mantel and under my desk … are all contenders for number 1 BEST spot!

 

 



All About Paw Preference in Dogs was “woofed about” on WoofReport.com, 17 October 2016. Is your dog left-pawed or right-pawed, or does she show any paw preference at all? And what does it mean if she shows a preference for using one paw over another?

Interestingly enough, dogs and many other animals are are right- or left-pawed, and many are also ambidextrous. While numerous studies have been conducted looking for gender and breed differences in terms of ‘pawedness’ in dogs, most studies show varying results with perhaps more that show male dogs have a left paw preference. On a related note, a 2009 study from the School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast found that female cats showed a greater preference for using their right paws while males were more inclined to use their left paws.

How do you determine your dog’s paw preference?  Does paw preference affect behavior? Find out more at:  All About Paw Preference in Dogs

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