Goodbye, Sweet Girl

I haven't written an entry to this blog in years--life simply got too busy, and I since I write for a living, I have to prioritize my work. But in case anyone comes across this blog, I'm coming back to finish the story.

We had to say goodbye to Madge this morning, 13 years after she came into our lives. It was a good 13 years, and I'll always be grateful to her for becoming part of our family and giving us so much love.

Madge came from West Virginia and was part basset hound and part pit bull, an odd mix that often caused people to stop me on the street and ask, "What kind of dog IS that?"

Madge was anxious and suspicious of strangers, but she unreservedly loved the the little child who snuggled with her on the couch and took her for walks. I suspect she probably watched with puzzlement over the years as that child grew up into a six-foot-tall adult.

She was physically powerful and possessed a pit bull's frenetic energy--once she jumped up on the window seat in our living room and shattered the glass with her butt, and another time dug a passageway through a four-foot snowdrift in the backyard with her head. Nevertheless, she was surprisingly gentle with an assortment of small dogs who were her companions--Tippy the pug, Joey the mixed terrier, and Kirby the puggle, who've all since gone to the Elysian dog park.

As she got older, she spent most of her time sitting on the couch with her last companion, our six-year-old chin-pug Tigger. She had to have her cancerous spleen removed last year, which gave her another 10 months to enjoy sniffing the bushes at the park, barking indignantly at delivery workers, and sitting every morning with my wife for a little girl time.

But eventually she got sick again, and after struggling for several weeks, last night let us know that it was time. After the vet came and helped her go, we took her body out to the porch, wrapped in one of her blankets. I went back inside to have a cry. Martha, who stayed with her a bit, was surprised to see a Monarch butterfly fluttered onto the porch and landed on our sweet, beloved old girl for a second, as if it was another traveler pausing to wish Madge well on her journey.

We're Back!

Hi everyone. I'm sorry for the four-year hiatus, but I got very busy with my work as a freelance journalist, and the blog just fell by the wayside. But I'm happy to report that Madge, our basset hound-pit bull, turned seven this year and is still a beloved member of our eccentric family.

She doesn't actually need reading glasses--those are just for style.

All ready for a walk with Kirby the puggle and Joey the terrier. 

She's calmer around people and not quite as camera shy as she used to be, but occasionally she lapses into the canine Greta Garbo of old.

Madge: Short legs, but BIG feet.

Hey, read me on National Geographic Channel's web site, too!

I haven't been posting quite as much lately, because I'm also writing a lot for the National Geographic Channel's Dogs Blog.  Here's my latest post on the genetic origins of small dogs, including my terrier Joey.

Bulldog beauty pageant

I'm not big on beauty pageants--for humans, that is. When the contestants are canines, on the other hand, it eliminates a lot of the potential downside. Dogs don't prance around in swimsuits and high heels, they don't twirl flaming batons or play excruciating flute solos, and they don't give incomprehensible answers to questions about Americans' knowledge of geography, or lack thereof. That's why I was thrilled to hear about the sixth annual Long Beach, CA Bulldog Beauty Contest  that will take place this Sunday, February 28 starting at 10 a.m. at Marketplace Long Beach. There are competitions for French and English bulldogs and senior dogs, and a separate pageant for pugs, too. Here’s a YouTube video with some of the highlights from last year’s spectacular, which attracted 350 contestants from four states and Canada. I'm hoping that they'll eventually add a basset hound-pit bull competition as well. 

It's a challenge photographing a basset hound-pit bull..

When I can convince Madge to allow me to take her picture, I then have to confront the dilemma of fitting her elongated body into the frame.

Posted from Blogium for iPhone

She's probably thinking: "Oh jeez, he's pointing that little black thingie that lights up at me again. I hate this. But I'm too comfortable to get up and hide, so I'll just put up with it until he gets bored."

Squeeze her head, stubby legs and big paws into the frame, and you lose the back half of her.

Okay, this is a little better. I got almost everything, except for the rear paws and part of her tail.

I tried this angle, and got almost all of her, except for the tail. Had to stand all the way on the other side of the room, though.

I wonder what Madge looked like as a puppy?

Probably a little like this. This picture was posed by a Waco, TX Humane Society back in  2008, so hopefully this little guy has matured into a handsome adult basset hound pit bull.