There is a shortage of things worth smiling over lately, so this week I thought I’d share a super-dependable, go-to Joy Jam: our inimitable canine companion Sadie.
Sadie arrived a little over a year ago, literally on our doorstep, and promptly lay down like she lived there. Au contraire, mon frère! we said. After the painful, successive losses of our previous pack members (Fritz, Travis, then Ninja Kitty, and finally Fred), we really were not ready for another pet. Not only were we still grieving, but we liked the idea of having one less thing to worry about when we traveled. (Leaving Hawaii Island is always complicated.)
The “Unnamed Dog” was initially relegated to the lanai while we—that is, the collective we, including our friends—ensured there was no one looking for her. (No one that was not an undeserving asshole, since we suspect she was dumped.) Once satisfied, Hubs and I tried to convince the rest of the collective we that they needed a dog. Unsuccessfully.
Obviously, the Hubs and I eventually surrendered to the universe, but it was a rough beginning. As a pup(ish), Sadie had— and still has—A LOT of energy. During our denial phase, she shredded enough cardboard to supply an Amazon Black Friday event. She also had—and still has—a very strong prey drive. (Sorry, driveway chicken. 😢 🐔 Rest In Peace.)
We soon made the wise decision to consult a trainer. He was incredibly helpful, and The Hubs has put in a lot of time working with her, and (I whisper so as not to provoke said universe), things are so much better now. I mean, Sadie’s not perfect. She still needs to do some work (okay, maybe a lot of work) to do around other dogs*, and she would love to bring home the feral pig bacon. Or maybe some HFC (Hawaii Feral Chicken). But she’s pretty doggone good.
Sadie is the first young dog we’ve had together… maybe ever? Recall that we’ve buried enough rescued animals just at our house in Hawaii to be mistaken for serial killers or a villainess’ puppy mill. (Six dogs and a cat; I had to pause to count. Plus some feral piglets.)
Her limitless energy was shocking but not surprising. What did pleasantly surprise me was witnessing her advance through mini developmental stages. She’d suddenly discover, I can lift my leg to pee, or Pawing tracks in the ground after pooping is fun, and she’d do it every time for about a week until it lost its novelty. My favorite: I can TOSS my own rope toy (after I chew it into three separate scraps).
The best thing about Sadie? For her, every day is like an eight-year-old’s Christmas. OMG, we’re awake again! We get to have another day together! It is humbling and energizing and grounding and life-affirming, with just the tiniest, sharpest sliver of heartbreaking. But every day, that sliver shrinks and the hurt scabs over. I am so grateful we have her.
So, here are Five Things you didn’t know about The Best Dog in the World.
She likes to eat ice chips. Last month, our refrigerator died (ultimately liberating but short-term another reason to just love January 2025). When replacing our crappy old ice cube trays (the only ones that fit in our mumble mumble fridge), I kept one just for Sadie. Crappy trays made crappy ice cubes, always chipping and crumbling, but I swore at them less once I discovered the joy that crunching the little sniblets gives her.
She is an excellent alarm clock, putting her paws on my side of the bed (Hubs has rules) when she decides it’s time for us to get up. There might be a little licking, a little booping. She also acts as snooze button. If it’s been too long (by her standard) and we’re still down, or if The Hubs gets up and I don’t immediately bolt out of bed as well, She Will Return.
SHE CHASES HER TAIL. For real. (Though it is hard to film on our lanai.) Not only does she chase it, but if she’s really committed to a good chase, she has to turn and chase it in the other direction, too. You know, to unwind. 🤣 I thought this was something she’d outgrow, like chewing every cardboard box down to compost. It happens less often now, but if the weather has cut her walks short, or it’s a particularly chilly morning, watch out! Ours is not a safe house for doggy tails.
She also does zoomies. Crazy zoomies! Running so fast, you can’t imagine how she’ll ever miss the impending fence or jungle. She has learned to moderate zooms so she doesn’t wipe out humans (usually) or the fish pond solar pumps or anything else in her path. She will even go zoomie in the dark when you let her out for last pee, though that’s usually only if we’re in a rainy phase and her wet walks have been less than satisfying. (See Tail Chasing, above.)
She’s not afraid of booms. You know, gunshots, fireworks, artillery. Thank you, Baby Buddha! 🙌 My sympathy to those with spookable pets—BTDT, with Thunder Shirts, crates, herbal supplements, and “real” drugs that would drop a horse but not calm a shaking 75-pound dog. Did I mention the terrier that broke a ceramic toilet tank lid? Sigh… good times.
We’re past Five, and I could go on about her virtues ad nauseam (she likes to have her teeth brushed!), so I will wrap up with one she has no control over, that is totally superficial but makes me happy.
Sadie has the cutest floppy ears. Except when they’re standing up ears. Or flipped inside out ears. Or regal, attentive ears. Or, I can’t decide, so let’s try a little bit of everything ears. I hope the photographic evidence makes you smile, too.
*Of course, the morning after I wrote this/the day I am posting it, we had crazy dog drama. A pug and a french bulldog showed up at our backdoor, and Sadie unleashed her inner psycho. 😳 This weekend, we’ll be repairing the window screen she nearly launched through, and maybe looking for any of Fred’s old drugs. Just kidding, but she is on You Were a Little Shit probation.
She is still the best little shit. 😉