A Fiercely but Beautifully Aging Pet"

Mom and Dad's beloved miniature wire-haired dachshunds have now reached old age. Wally, the smaller and more sociable of the two, is not doing well. His more retiring sister Wheedl does better, and will probably outlive him.

When I arrived home on Saturday, the "pups" had just been bathed. Their fur was fluffy and prettier than I had ever seen it before. Wally's fur had just the slightest tinge of a few grey hairs here and there. I thought it ironic that as people age, they tend to become less beautiful, but that as these dogs have aged, they may have become more beautiful.

However, Wally has grown quite fierce because of his hearing loss. As long as he is not being threatened or "manhandled" (in his mind), he is gentle and loving. But I witnessed the face of a devil-dog when Mom tried to towel him off after I spilled cucumber soup all over him. He drew his lips as far away from his teeth as they could possibly reach, and growled fiercely. He snapped at the towel angrily. I don't think I've ever seen a more frightening canine face, and he's only seven or eight pounds.

I thought about taking a picture of him growling, but then I realized that I didn't really want to remember him that way. I'd rather remember him as the perky, funny, affectionate, and extremely cute "pup" that he's always been.
^ Pittsburgh - August 2004 < What's your Totem? A Beautiful Garden >