Surprising Empathy

From the moment she became part of our family, Cassie was never shy, never intimidated by the other larger dogs and never one to back down from anything. She became a playmate for Cody and an annoyance to Candy. Remember, Candy's health was not good but you wouldn't know it to look at her. Candy was the princess of our house. Cody knew it and followed Candy's rules. Cassie tried desperately to break those rules. If Candy wanted to be left alone, she let Cody know it right away and he backed off. She also let Cassie know when she was annoyed with her...but, of course, Cassie was never convinced she meant it. Candy would growl at Cassie; Cassie would playfully bounce away and then slowly crawl back to be close to her. It was a challenge to Cassie to get close to Candy. And Cassie has never backed down from a challenge.

Her most memorable attempt is captured in this picture...Candy laying protectively at the feet of my husband's chair and Cassie sneaking up behind her and laying her head across Candy's tail. Candy's face provides all the reaction needed. I imagine her thinking, "Oh my gosh! Is this what I have to put up with from now on?"  She's looking at her knowing she must tolerate her like a big sister must tolerate the annoying little sister who always has to be involved. 

Cassie, being the smart little thing she is, learned quickly.  And, as good parents, under watchful eyes, we let them work it out themselves. Cassie began to understand that Candy was the oldest and in charge; Cody was the middle child and could sometimes be manipulated; and she was the baby; spoiled and protected because she was small and had to be tolerated while she learned the rules. She learned quickly that she could lay close to Cody, even lay on his legs and sleep...but Candy was to be kept at a distance.....until that fateful day when we had to say goodbye to Candy.....

Candy's cancer began to make it extremely difficult for her to get up and down. After two surgeries within 4 months, the tumor grew back faster and larger. She was 11 years old and nothing more could be done. The time had come. This is the last picture of Candy. Our Veterinarian would arrive shortly. What amazed me about this scene and why I took this picture is the behavior of the other two. All afternoon...as Candy lay quietly on her pallet, Cody and Cassie did not play, they did not run, they did not make a sound...it was as if they knew...and I think they did. They lay like this, beside her for at least an hour...quiet, calm...saying goodbye. Cassie, 5 months old, knew something was not right in our house this day. Cassie, 5 months old, my rambunctious, full of wild energy, always wanting to play puppy knew instinctively, even at her young age, that our family dynamic was about to change. At this moment, I knew she would be something special. I knew she would become a spark of joy in our home. Not to replace Candy, but to help us through our grief and help us and Cody fill the void left behind. It's been proven that pets provide comfort during grief. And I must say, she has done that and more. She fills our home with fun, laughter, adventure and surprises. She irritates and aggravates Cody to no end...but I know he loves every minute of it! She is the spark that always keeps us guessing and surprises us every day. God knew she would be just what we needed...mischief and all! Especially for me...you see, one month before losing Candy, I lost my mother. My sorrow was just beginning. There have been times when the stories to come in Cassie-isms have lifted my spirits and made me laugh when I thought there was no laughter...so, you see, God knew I would need this wonderful puppy with boundless energy...He knew her mischievous personality would be just what this family needed. 

And so, the stories begin.....

She's here.....

Cassie came into our lives late September 2012.  She was a small, skinny bundle of endless energy and mischief. Of course, most Labrador Retrievers are...but they grow out of it.  We should know because we also have Cody, an 8 year old yellow Lab. And he eventually grew out of his mischievous years...after he ate a couch and drank a keg of beer. But I digress.... Cassie may break the record for mischievousness.  On the other hand, she may be one of the smartest dogs I've ever known. Maybe I should start at the beginning....

Our friends/neighbors got his mom a chocolate Lab puppy as a birthday present. Since her birthday was 2 weeks away, they had to keep her at their house. Can you see where this is going?  After one week they were all in love. And she so fit their family....this beautiful chocolate Lab was sweet, calm, quiet, well behaved....almost docile....not your normal Lab personality, but oh so sweet and loving! So, they decided to keep her and get his mom another puppy. So Sadie became a member of their family.

They found a beautiful, shiny black Lab puppy, one month younger than Sadie, for his mom. Since mom's birthday was still several days away, they had to keep this one at their house, too.  You've heard the term "different as night and day"? Well that so fits the difference between these two dogs! Where Sadie was quiet and docile, this black Lab puppy was loud and obstinate! Where Sadie was easy-going, this black Lab puppy was fast and furious! Sadie was the "day" and this black Lab puppy was the "night." Complete opposites and turning my friend's home upside down. We kept the black Lab puppy one night and knew right away that his mom would have her hands full with this one.

My friend's mom's birthday came and they gave her the black Lab puppy. She was so happy! About 2 weeks later, my friend called to ask me, "If mom can't handle the puppy, would you take her?" Well, of course, I said yes. Apparently, this puppy was waking mom up every few hours wanting to play so mom was getting no sleep. At 3 months old, she was jumping on a kitchen chair and then jumping up on the kitchen counter to eat whatever was within reach. She would NOT come when called. Mom was exhausted.

It wasn't long before I got a phone call from my friend asking me once again if I still might want the black Lab puppy if mom decided she just couldn't handle her. My answer was still yes. The next day my friend called to say he was bringing me a puppy. Mom reluctantly admitted she could not handle this bundle of wild energy. This dog needed discipline and a lot of attention!

Enter Cassie into our lives....a so shiny black she looks blue, wild thing, but beautiful black Lab puppy. And our house has not been the same since! She has brought laughter and joy and entertainment to us and to Cody (remember, he's our yellow Lab). At the time Cassie became a part of our family, we already had 2 dogs, Cody, and Candy, a Chow/Golden mix. Candy was 11 years old and not in good health. We lost her to cancer 2 months after Cassie came into our lives. In retrospect, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. She helped us through our grief. But I'll get to that story later.

For now, suffice it to say our house was full....Candy, 11 years old;  Cody, 8 years old; and now Cassie, a 4 month old bundle of wild energy set on disrupting the natural order of things in the Sumrall household! And what an impression she made!  Let me just end with this...Cassie was NEVER intimidated by Cody and Candy...."2 big dogs in this house? No problem! I'll just take over!" That's what I imagine she thought when she came to live with us...and so will you when you read the stories I call Cassie-isms!