Many years ago, I sat down to start a blog. One of the first things I thought I would do would be to write one blog post about each of my dogs. That was back when Jake was still alive, but nearing the end of his time here with us. As I wrote that blog post, he was lying next to me and I knew our remaining time together was limited. I wanted to be sure to write about all of the things that made him uniquely Jake, so that I would never forget. I remember the tears rolling down my face as I wrote. And then I got caught up in life and didn't continue to write. Years later, I started to write again. I still wanted to write about each of the girls, and eventually wrote about my Imke and all that she meant to me...also with her lying next to me as I wrote, and more tears. Over the last couple of years, I've been waiting for the perfect time to write this post, and I believe that time as finally come. So let you me tell you about my Maddie.
Tonight as I write, this is the view that I see. This beautiful, sweet face looking right at me, soundly sleeping and dreaming of some grand adventures, I am sure. Because Maddie is an adventure dog and my travel buddy. But that was not always the case.
When Maddie came into my life 10 years ago, she was not supposed to be my dog. I will spare you the long story and all of the details, but she wasn't meant to be mine and I had no idea that she would eventually become such a big part of my life. I didn't choose to bring her into my home at the time and I never expected for her to be here with me 10 years later. But honestly, I don't think she ever belonged with anyone else and I think she knew that from the beginning.
Maddie was just 4 years old, given up by her previous family-a casualty of a divorce. The wife's dog, who ended up with the husband after the divorce, but he didn't have time for her and in her boredom, she started killing his chickens. That was not acceptable to him and so she ended up as a "free to good home" dog on Craigslist. Lucky for Maddie, she ended up in good hands and soon after ended up in my home as my third GSP. Jake and Imke accepted her quickly and they all became fast friends. The rest is history. She became my girl.
Maddie was crazy! Other than Imke, I had never experienced a GSP that was that young. And she was nothing like Imke. Maddie was high-strung, anxious, and lacked confidence. She was a horrible traveler-she would get so excited to go on a trip in the car that she would bark and pace the entire drive. She wasn't very good at walking on a leach either, pulling and weaving and completely unruly. She was afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks and would pace and pant uncontrollably always trying to find a piece of furniture to hide behind or under. If a storm moved in during the middle of the night, I would get no sleep because Maddie would climb into bed and do her best to burrow into my armpit-I think she would have crawled into my skin if she could have. She didn't like the beach either-the lake and waves scared her.
I had never had a dog quite like her. Jake had been a really well behaved 6 year old when we brought him home, and Imke had grown up with me, so while she had quirks, I knew how to deal with them. But Maddie was a new challenge for me. I can still picture it as we drove down the road, Maddie with her head out the window barking the entire time. And the barking didn't stop when I stopped because she would also bark if I left her in the car, even if just for a couple of minutes. It was such a hard time for me because, as you all know, I take my dogs everywhere.
For just over 2 years, Jake, Imke, and Maddie were the three amigos. While there were times when we would make trips and leave Maddie behind, eventually I couldn't bare the thought of her not joining us and so we worked through(or I just put up with) the stress of traveling with Maddie because the more she joined us, the more I enjoyed having her along and the more her confidence grew.
When Jake died in September of 2012 just one week before Imke's 9th birthday, I know that having Maddie here made the transition easier for Imke who had never known life without her Jake. While Imke loved her Jake, Maddie loved Imke. And in time, I think that Imke really learned to love her too. For the 6 years between Jake's death and Imke's, Imke and Maddie were together almost constantly. Rarely did they spend time apart and when they did, it was only for short periods of time. During this time they truly became best friends.
Maddie continued to change and grow in confidence over the years, and after lots of practice, she eventually became an excellent traveler too. Of course, she would still get excited for every adventure and loved to go where ever I wanted to take her. I was happy to be able to have her join me as we traveled the country. She continued to improve as a traveler and I'm so excited she was able to make it to 49 States with me and Imke. It always makes me smile when I'm watching TV and see a place we have been...and I look over at her on the couch and say "Maddie, we've been there." I don't know if she remembers any of our trips, but it is nice to know that we have shared so many awesome experiences together. We had plans to travel to Canada this Summer so that Maddie could add traveling to all 10 Canadian Provinces to her resume, but that is now on hold. I still hope she'll be able to make that trip with me though.
Maddie has welcomed every single foster that I've brought home with me. She's been here since the very first one. I'll never forget how sad my sensitive girl was when our first foster got adopted after being here for 2 months. Maddie really missed her terribly and sulked for two days. She has adjusted to the new friends coming and going pretty regularly. While I'm sure she's glad to see some of them go, she is always tolerant and happy to have them here, eventually. She has shared her mom with a lot of other dogs and has been a real champ at doing so. I always know that any dog I bring home with me will be welcomed and will become a snuggle pal and pillow for her.
While our first several trips to the beach with her were a real challenge, Maddie has embraced her life as a Michigander and has become quite the lover of the beach and Great Lakes. I never would have expected how much she would grow to love our trips to the UP and the shores of Lake Superior. But I am sure glad that she has learned to love these places as much as I do.
No matter the season, Maddie is happiest when we are at the beach.
Despite the early challenges of walking her, we continued to get out and hike. She has explored many places, from remote wooded areas to urban landscapes and has loved them all. But she definitely loves the woods the best. She is a GSP after all. She has hiked nearly 500 miles on the North Country Trail and has joined the Woofer Walk eight times...generally being handed off to a complete stranger so that one of our dog walkers from the shelter would have a dog to walk, and she's always gone willing.
She is my patient, gentle soul. She has learned to stand nicely, even when she doesn't want to, when complete strangers from across the country have asked if they could pet her. And while kisses from Maddie are rare, she will freely give them to young children because Maddie has a soft spot for kids. I have to believe that is because she grew up with them. I love when young kids approach and ask to pet her and she surprises them with a kiss. And if you aren't a kid and are lucky enough to receive one of those kisses that will be offered on rare occasions, they are a special treat. When you receive one, you know that you are loved.
Maddie has been there with me through some tough times, but the hardest for us both was the day Imke died. She took Imke's loss very hard and hasn't quiet been the same since that day. She has slowed down significantly and has become a bit more anxious and she's even more attached to me than she was before, but she still loves life. In her old age, she has struggled with the heat and has had some arthritis which prevents her from doing as much as she used to, but she is still always ready for an adventure.
Someday, when I think back on my time with her, the thing I want to remember the most about life with Maddie is that she lived it to the fullest and with joy. From the early days of what our friends now call "Crazy Maddie" to today, as my sweet old soul, she has been a treasure. I'm so glad that she came into my life all those years ago. She is one special girl.
Maddie is just a happy dog who enjoys life to the fullest and I'm convinced she will to the very end.
Tonight as I write, this is the view that I see. This beautiful, sweet face looking right at me, soundly sleeping and dreaming of some grand adventures, I am sure. Because Maddie is an adventure dog and my travel buddy. But that was not always the case.
When Maddie came into my life 10 years ago, she was not supposed to be my dog. I will spare you the long story and all of the details, but she wasn't meant to be mine and I had no idea that she would eventually become such a big part of my life. I didn't choose to bring her into my home at the time and I never expected for her to be here with me 10 years later. But honestly, I don't think she ever belonged with anyone else and I think she knew that from the beginning.
Maddie was just 4 years old, given up by her previous family-a casualty of a divorce. The wife's dog, who ended up with the husband after the divorce, but he didn't have time for her and in her boredom, she started killing his chickens. That was not acceptable to him and so she ended up as a "free to good home" dog on Craigslist. Lucky for Maddie, she ended up in good hands and soon after ended up in my home as my third GSP. Jake and Imke accepted her quickly and they all became fast friends. The rest is history. She became my girl.
Maddie was crazy! Other than Imke, I had never experienced a GSP that was that young. And she was nothing like Imke. Maddie was high-strung, anxious, and lacked confidence. She was a horrible traveler-she would get so excited to go on a trip in the car that she would bark and pace the entire drive. She wasn't very good at walking on a leach either, pulling and weaving and completely unruly. She was afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks and would pace and pant uncontrollably always trying to find a piece of furniture to hide behind or under. If a storm moved in during the middle of the night, I would get no sleep because Maddie would climb into bed and do her best to burrow into my armpit-I think she would have crawled into my skin if she could have. She didn't like the beach either-the lake and waves scared her.
I had never had a dog quite like her. Jake had been a really well behaved 6 year old when we brought him home, and Imke had grown up with me, so while she had quirks, I knew how to deal with them. But Maddie was a new challenge for me. I can still picture it as we drove down the road, Maddie with her head out the window barking the entire time. And the barking didn't stop when I stopped because she would also bark if I left her in the car, even if just for a couple of minutes. It was such a hard time for me because, as you all know, I take my dogs everywhere.
For just over 2 years, Jake, Imke, and Maddie were the three amigos. While there were times when we would make trips and leave Maddie behind, eventually I couldn't bare the thought of her not joining us and so we worked through(or I just put up with) the stress of traveling with Maddie because the more she joined us, the more I enjoyed having her along and the more her confidence grew.
When Jake died in September of 2012 just one week before Imke's 9th birthday, I know that having Maddie here made the transition easier for Imke who had never known life without her Jake. While Imke loved her Jake, Maddie loved Imke. And in time, I think that Imke really learned to love her too. For the 6 years between Jake's death and Imke's, Imke and Maddie were together almost constantly. Rarely did they spend time apart and when they did, it was only for short periods of time. During this time they truly became best friends.
Maddie continued to change and grow in confidence over the years, and after lots of practice, she eventually became an excellent traveler too. Of course, she would still get excited for every adventure and loved to go where ever I wanted to take her. I was happy to be able to have her join me as we traveled the country. She continued to improve as a traveler and I'm so excited she was able to make it to 49 States with me and Imke. It always makes me smile when I'm watching TV and see a place we have been...and I look over at her on the couch and say "Maddie, we've been there." I don't know if she remembers any of our trips, but it is nice to know that we have shared so many awesome experiences together. We had plans to travel to Canada this Summer so that Maddie could add traveling to all 10 Canadian Provinces to her resume, but that is now on hold. I still hope she'll be able to make that trip with me though.
Maddie has welcomed every single foster that I've brought home with me. She's been here since the very first one. I'll never forget how sad my sensitive girl was when our first foster got adopted after being here for 2 months. Maddie really missed her terribly and sulked for two days. She has adjusted to the new friends coming and going pretty regularly. While I'm sure she's glad to see some of them go, she is always tolerant and happy to have them here, eventually. She has shared her mom with a lot of other dogs and has been a real champ at doing so. I always know that any dog I bring home with me will be welcomed and will become a snuggle pal and pillow for her.
While our first several trips to the beach with her were a real challenge, Maddie has embraced her life as a Michigander and has become quite the lover of the beach and Great Lakes. I never would have expected how much she would grow to love our trips to the UP and the shores of Lake Superior. But I am sure glad that she has learned to love these places as much as I do.
No matter the season, Maddie is happiest when we are at the beach.
Despite the early challenges of walking her, we continued to get out and hike. She has explored many places, from remote wooded areas to urban landscapes and has loved them all. But she definitely loves the woods the best. She is a GSP after all. She has hiked nearly 500 miles on the North Country Trail and has joined the Woofer Walk eight times...generally being handed off to a complete stranger so that one of our dog walkers from the shelter would have a dog to walk, and she's always gone willing.
She is my patient, gentle soul. She has learned to stand nicely, even when she doesn't want to, when complete strangers from across the country have asked if they could pet her. And while kisses from Maddie are rare, she will freely give them to young children because Maddie has a soft spot for kids. I have to believe that is because she grew up with them. I love when young kids approach and ask to pet her and she surprises them with a kiss. And if you aren't a kid and are lucky enough to receive one of those kisses that will be offered on rare occasions, they are a special treat. When you receive one, you know that you are loved.
Maddie has been there with me through some tough times, but the hardest for us both was the day Imke died. She took Imke's loss very hard and hasn't quiet been the same since that day. She has slowed down significantly and has become a bit more anxious and she's even more attached to me than she was before, but she still loves life. In her old age, she has struggled with the heat and has had some arthritis which prevents her from doing as much as she used to, but she is still always ready for an adventure.
Someday, when I think back on my time with her, the thing I want to remember the most about life with Maddie is that she lived it to the fullest and with joy. From the early days of what our friends now call "Crazy Maddie" to today, as my sweet old soul, she has been a treasure. I'm so glad that she came into my life all those years ago. She is one special girl.
Maddie is just a happy dog who enjoys life to the fullest and I'm convinced she will to the very end.
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