Mersey

Dinsdale Mersey Beat April 13th 2003-May 2nd 2014

Seems that lately my blog has become one endless cyberspace of doom and gloom.  Yesterday I said goodbye to Mersey.  I knew she wasn't 100% for the last couple of months, most owners have a sense when their dogs are not....quite right and I knew that with Mersey.  Not that she was unhappy, she was eating, playful, energetic, but, she was ageing so much faster than what I expect from my dogs.  We tried a couple of different things and she seemed to be doing much better through the early Spring, than a couple weeks ago she began having some issues.  The dots all started to connect and I made an appointment with the Vet to seek out their opinion.  An examination and an x-ray confirmed what I was afraid of and I had to make the terrible decision to put her down.  The alternative may have garnered a few weeks, but, those weeks would of been uncomfortable and I decided to let her go while she was still happy.... and happy she was, right until I walked up the steps to the clinic and she started to panic, God I hate this last journey.  

Most of us that share our lives with pets will one day be stood where I was, either at home, or, in a clinic with a Vet, petting the head of our dog as they take their last breath, they relax and their heads drop, it is awful, heartbreaking and a bit of a relief.  As Mersey drifted away she did a final little tail wag, I am sure it was involuntary, yet, it was so Mersey, that silly little waggle she would do when she was very happy and content.  I like to think that was what she felt as she left me.  Rest well big girl, you were a good dog

Sad and dreary March

I have been feeling overwhelmed by the number of lovely schnauzer companions that have passed away this Winter.  It has been long and harsh and made especially unforgettable by the loss of these dogs.  I didn't get through this winter without my own personal pain, losing one of my most loyal companions, Hope in December.
My heart goes out to the owners who most recently said goodbye to their friends...Indy, Damon, Lucy, Darwin and Moosie.
Thank you for giving each of these schnauzers a great life, I cannot ask for anything more for my dogs than that.

Another memorial :-(

Dinsdale Hugo's Last Crusade 'INDY'
August 23rd 1999- March 5th 2014

I just posted about senior dogs and the next day I received sad news from Sarah, the owner of Indy, telling me of his passing and their feelings of loss.  I remember when they chose the registered name for their pup Indy, I loved it as this was his Dad, a 12 year old Hugo, very last litter.  From this litter I kept my sweet Gussy who lived with me until she passed much too early. I LOVE this photo of Indy as it reminds me so much of his funny sister.

We all know how hard it is to lose one of our companions, it is no easier if they live a long life like Indy, or, if we lose them before their time, like his sister Gussy. 

Our condolences go out to the Robertson family who are grieving the loss of a loyal and faithful friend.  Rest well Indy you are missed and will be remembered.

A wolf's heart

Dinsdale's Hope -- March 27th 2001 - December 13th 2013

My beautiful Hope passed yesterday, she would of been 13 years old in the Spring. 

I have so many emotions about my journey with Hope, she probably taught me more about dogs, and, well.....life in general, then any other I have owned.  Lessons about how fragile their bond to us can be, how these pets, that we think of as almost human, are only a heartbeat away from their wild ancestors.  I lost Hope at 10 months of age, she wandered out an open gate and was gone for a week in January.  We had many sightings of her, but, during that time she reverted to that feral being that is within them all, but, is seldom shown to us.  I thought I would never get her back, and when I finally did, I held on, probably too strongly.  I made mistakes, had regrets with how I handled things, but Hope, she just moved on with life.  

Hope delivered four beautiful litters to Dinsdale, she was the most sensational mom, protective, playful she always raised her pups well.  At home she was part of my Dynamic Duo, Cutter and his sister Hope.  The last couple of years she has been the one that sleeps in our bed at night, I miss her steady breath and the assortment of toys that she liked to sleep with.

There was no extended ailment with Hope, she fell ill and I said a final goodbye to her all within a week.  Seven days of worry, mixed with a couple days of feeling optimistic and then the final diagnosis of Bladder Cancer and my decision to let her go.  

I cannot believe it is time to say goodbye to my beautiful, loyal girl, Hope, my companion who possessed the heart and soul of a wolf.

Another Goodbye

Bailey - August 24th 1998 - December 8th 2012

Bailey's family said goodbye to their girl on Saturday, I know the decision was both difficult and kind.  What a blessing that we can make the passing easier for our companions, but, nothing really prepares us for dealing with the burden of that decision.  This is something I have dealt with far too often in my life with dogs, and one I know I will be dealing with over the next couple of years.

Bailey's blood is behind many of our Dinsdale Standard Schnauzers, she produced three wonderful litters giving us Rosie, Cutter & Hope and Fiddle, these four dogs have gone onto produce many beautiful and influential Schnauzers.  Her progeny have been American and Canadian Champions, Specialty winners and Best in Show Champions.  Too many titles in obedience, agility to keep track of along with therapy dogs and titles of Canine Good Citizens & Neighbour.

Thank you Bailey for being a wonderful representative of the Standard Schnauzer Breed, but mostly for all the great pups that have followed you in becoming the best family pet possible.  Well done Bailey, well done girl.

More photos of Bailey have been posted on our Face Book page

Canadian show jumping horse Hickstead dies

I was so sad to hear of the death of show jumping SUPER stallion Hickstead yesterday in Italy.  Hickstead and his Canadian rider Eric Lamaze won Olympic Gold in Bejing in 2008.
One of the greatest show jumping teams, heck I even named one of my dogs Hickstead in his honour.

Link below provides further information.

Canadian show jumping horse Hickstead dies

We Lost a Good One

In 2006 Cathy emailed an inquiry to me about our Standard Schnauzers, immediately I felt this was going to be a great home for one of my pups. We discussed the breed, her past dog experience and a little about her life and how she saw a Schnauzer would fit into it. Although I didn't have pups at the time I was a co-breeder on a litter in the US and connected Cathy with the owner of the pups. When it came time for the pups to leave for their homes I traveled to the States to pick out one for myself and one that could share it's life with Cathy. There was a handsome, outgoing, very naughty energetic male that stood out, I took him back to Canada and placed him on a plane to join his new owners on the East coast of Canada. In Cathy's own words she writes; "Eli arrived on PEI after quite a journey for a such a little man. At 7.5 weeks old he drove with Lori from Milwaukee, then flew from Toronto to Halifax where Kiri met him and drove home to Charlottetown. Then he proceeded to the easiest part of his journey, the part where he ran around the room and stole our hearts!" I loved receiving updates and photos from Cathy about their adventures, I would even occasionally receive emails and blogs from Eli, Cathy had a sense of humour. She trained and worked hard, learning about the breed, learning to groom him and eventually gaining a Canadian championship on Eli. Cathy loved the training but decided to hand Eli off to husband Allan for the show ring, they completed his championship with a Group 4th placement. Cathy decided the highly social Eli would be a great therapy dog, she started by taking him to kindergarten classes, below is one of my favorite photos sent to me by Cathy. Eventually he would visit with special needs adults, or as Cathy would call them, Eli's Special Friends. She taught him manners and tricks and Eli and Cathy were a big hit. Cathy and Eli were great ambassadors for the Standard Schnauzer breed and I knew that I could send new Dinsdale puppy owners her way and she would happily befriend them and offer advice. Along with a good romp on one of the beautiful east coast beaches. I loved her photos of Eli just being a dog best, this one that I posted on the Blog last summer was one of my favorites. I worked a little Photoshop magic on it and sent a copy to Cathy. I didn't hear back from her about that photo for a couple of weeks, when I did it was then that Cathy informed me about her cancer diagnosis. The last several months I have been kept up to date on Cathy's battle with the disease via emails from Cathy and her family. Updates on her extended trips to Toronto for treatment and the painful recovery from them. My last email from Cathy was a month ago, she sounded exhausted but still hopeful about beating it. It was with great sadness that I received the news about her passing on February 2nd. My heart goes out to Cathy's family. I know Cathy touched the lives of many other owners of Standard Schnauzers, if you would like to pay your respect and send condolences to her family a memorial has been set up here, just click and you will be taken to the tribute page.

A Diamond in the Ruff

My Jewels

Jewels has been the top dog in our house for many years, even as a pup I could sense that she was serious about being taken seriously. Extremely dedicated to me, I have no doubt that she would take a piece out of the backside of anyone that tried to do me wrong. Jewels would never gush over you, her love, loyalty and devotion was there in the quiet way she moved through the house with me, would faithful lay outside the door I last went out and on my return would greet me with a bark, a quiet wag, and of course a dirty look as if to admonish me for having left with out her. She was rarely physically demonstrative, a gentle stroke or ear rub was all she wanted. She loved only two people her entire life myself and Mick, she didn't want nor need any other person, that was just Jewels, it didn't bother her but frustrated many visitors I am sure. Jewels was very maternal to daughter Gussy her entire life, their mother/daughter bond was strong and it wasn't unusual to see Gussy lying contentedly while momma Jewels would groom her. They were a formidable team and would always back each other up. I often wondered how she missed Gussy after she passed away this summer. With pups she had a soft spot and seemed to know the secret in how to discipline to gain respect yet not destroy their trust in her. Oh and Jewels was a terrible flirt with the boys, she sure loved her Toy Boys :-)) In her later years she loved to go for a car ride especially if a Tim Horton drive-thru was involved, Tim-Bits were a big hit with Jewels. As a special treat when there were no other cars on the road I would slow right down, lower the window and let her lean far out catching all the interesting scents on the wind. She grew old with grace and was the only dog that didn't look silly in a shaggy coat, she just looked regal and majestic. As her eyes clouded with age she became extremely attached to my physical presence and refused to sleep anywhere but in my bedroom. Never on the bed, but the floor at the foot of the bed, that was her choice, I would of made room for Jewels. As her legs became sore with age she would slowly make the trip up the stairs each night, the last few months she would 'allow' us to carry her up every now and then. When she was diagnosed with congestive heart disease last year Mick and I decided to spoil her as long as we could, our weekend breakfasts always included extra rations for Jewels, bugger the worries about fat and salt, if Jewels enjoyed a couple sausages or a piece of bacon we were fine with that. For some reason the last couple of months she became obsessed with Mick's evening cup of tea & cookies , it was hilarious to see this old girl beg for a bit of cookie. It was finally her loss of appetite that told me it was time. Jewels was far from perfect, she barked a lot, quarreled way too much with some of my other females, refused to participate in dog shows, disliked my family and friends, was the most stubborn schnauzer I have ever had always having to have the last word. In her senior years she could best be described as a grumpy old curmudgeon. But she was our curmudgeon and I am going to miss her company at bedtime, breakfast time, or when apologizing to visitors about the grumpy schnauzer. Jewels has been a huge presence in our home and our lives for almost 15 years. How I am going to miss that dog!

Dinsdale Diamonds are Forever 'Jewels' May 1996-December 2010

I miss her already....

Dinsdale Augusta Breeze, AGN

Sad Goodbyes

Griffey Fox I was saddened to receive recent news of the loss of two Dinsdale Schnauzers. Sunday I was told of the passing of Griffey who has been the very loved companion of Jan, Michael and son Jonathan for more then 13 years. Jonathan and Griff grew up together, he was a big part of their family. Griffey is a littermate to my old girl Jewels, who has been having a rough time herself the last few months. My thoughts are with Jan and her family as they mourn the loss of Griff from their lives. What a beautiful photo Jan sent me of Griffey, he reminds me so much of Jewels. Arby Barsky Monday came news of Arby's passing. Arby was a littermate to Charlotte, one of our Madie daughters that is dam to many of the dogs in our breeding program, Arby is a half sibling to Griffey through mom Madison. In our early days we use to offer in house boarding to some of the owners of our dogs and Arby came back to stay with us a few times. He was much like Charlotte, happy-go-lucky and you always had the feeling that the world was Arby's oyster. Arby matured into a big dog with an even BIGGER personality. I love this photo that I took when he came to stay as a puppy with us, he was all long ears and legs.

Saying Goodbye

Just as I am wishing a happy 13th Birthday to Jewels friends were having to make the decision to say a final goodbye to their wonderful old boy Ace, littermate to Jewels. Their sadness is overwhelming and I am sure all of us that have loved a dog can empathize. May 10th 1996 - May 14th 2009 Here are some of my favorite photos of Ace taken during happier times. Snoozing with mom Squirrel alert With little sister Charlotte Lake side