Lost my beloved Izzy two years ago. She was 17, and a very good dog. Lots of memories, of course, but there's one that always makes me laugh (at her expense I guess, but in good fun).
She liked water just fine, but she was not a big fan of swimming. One day when she was a pup we were walking along a riverbank in the autumn. Dead leaves had piled up along the water's edge to the point that all the leaves on top were dry. It really did look like there might be flat, dry land under them. So she went charging out onto this "land." Just as she realized that she was about to get a dunking, she turned in mid air and looked back at me. That was easily the most complex facial expression I have ever seen on a dog. In that split second, all at once, her face said "you bastard," "Oh NOOOO," "If this dry land isn't dry land, is anything real? Am I real?" and "I am SO embarrassed" - all of this as she tried frantically to reverse her course in midair. It was/is hilarious, and 16 years later, as I was sitting in the parking lot sobbing after having her put down, remembering that face again allowed me to laugh a little, take a breath, and start the process of moving on.
Lost my beloved Izzy two years ago. She was 17, and a very good dog. Lots of memories, of course, but there's one that always makes me laugh (at her expense I guess, but in good fun).
She liked water just fine, but she was not a big fan of swimming. One day when she was a pup we were walking along a riverbank in the autumn. Dead leaves had piled up along the water's edge to the point that all the leaves on top were dry. It really did look like there might be flat, dry land under them. So she went charging out onto this "land." Just as she realized that she was about to get a dunking, she turned in mid air and looked back at me. That was easily the most complex facial expression I have ever seen on a dog. In that split second, all at once, her face said "you bastard," "Oh NOOOO," "If this dry land isn't dry land, is anything real? Am I real?" and "I am SO embarrassed" - all of this as she tried frantically to reverse her course in midair. It was/is hilarious, and 16 years later, as I was sitting in the parking lot sobbing after having her put down, remembering that face again allowed me to laugh a little, take a breath, and start the process of moving on.
that's a great story! I hope you share it often.