Mr Poochman's Pooch House

I recently received the very unwelcome news that Wrigley had lost the fight he was having with bone cancer… a fight that he and his people didn’t know that they were in until a week or so before he passed. An unfair, sneaky, dirty fight… as always seems to be the case! Wrigley’s people are distraught and in shock. They feel cheated by the sudden, unexpected loss of their beautiful Bernese boy, who had been a much loved member of their family for the best part of a decade. 

We are more than grateful that Wrigley came to stay with us at the Pooch House this Summer, a couple of weeks before his diagnosis. Wrigley had regularly been in our Iives for over 6 years, and we were glad that we could spend some quality time with him.

The first time that Wrigley and I crossed paths was December 2015. He was around 2 years oId.

We were having a meet and greet visit to see if he would like to stay “Chez Pooch House” over the Christmas/New Years break.  We met in the car park at the Edgemont entrance to Nose Hill Park. I remember it well as it was an atypical Winter’s day in Calgary… -25C (not including wind chill) with an added icy mist. It’s safe to say that I was feeling somewhat cold. Wrigley wasn’t, and was happily strutting his stuff with a big smile on his face!

Of all the pooches that I have known, Wrigley was the one who rejoiced the most in cold weather, particularly snow.  He just HAD to be outside when Mother Nature was doing her damnedest. Simply put, Wrigley was a big, hairy Bernese chap who never had, never did, and never would feel the cold!

I passed the compatibility test and Wrigley came to stay. As soon as he entered the Pooch House we knew we had a bit of a problem! Even though he was used to tile at home, he was extremely wary of walking on our tiled and wooden flooring… indeed he decided that, to be on the safe side he would just sit on the mat at the back door! It took a few days and an incremental use of strategically placed floormats and carpeting in order to establish a route that he was happy using. He was always his normal affable self… he just needed to be confident that he wasn’t going to slip over when he walked around the house!

Christmas went well, and Wrigley became a regular visitor to the Pooch House. He also joined the Pooch Walk, which gave him ample opportunity to visit any and all people in the dog park to let them know that;

• he WAS a very good boy… he announced that as soon as he entered his home or the Pooch House, and always at the dog park as he exited the Pooch Mobile,
• he WAS worthy of fussage and expected, at least a couple of minutes of stroking and “bigging him up” talk before he moved on to his next fusser! Being the gentle, friendly, gregarious chap that he was there was never a shortage of willing fussers!

Whenever Wrigley moved in for some fussage, I always felt it my duty to advise prospective fussers that Wrigley had a different self-image when he was visiting with people and when being fussed. He transformed himself from an imposing 130+ lb Bernese into a 20 lb doe-faced puppy, who delighted in leaning into people whilst he accepted his well-deserved deification!

As intimated, there was no shortage of willing fussers who regularly came back for more on future visits! Wrigley was particularly popular with the more senior people at the parks that we frequented. Indeed, they just couldn’t seem to get enough of his warmth, good will and friendliness. They really enjoyed being able to interact so closely with a big, gentle chap who didn’t have a mean bone in his body, had never menaced anything in his life and didn’t want to know how to.

I can admit, however, that there were times when, in the throes of receiving fussage, it looked as though a dicky knee or dislocated hip could be on the cards. Notwithstanding the big fluffball that he was, he always seemed to know when to tailor his enthusiasm and reduce an expectant lean to a playful nudge!

Wrigley was the gentlest of giants, who lived for being with his family and loved being around the people that he loved. He was a favourite at the Pooch House, over the nearly seven years that he came to stay.  He always brought happiness with him and lightened the mood with his presence. After his initial misgivings he became pretty good at navigating the floor without carpets or mats, although it was always his preference to have a mat to lie on near the door… just in case!

I’ve said it before, having a dog in your life is a love – hate relationship. You love to nurture a reciprocal understanding with your pooch; one where they are always happy to see you, you are always happy to them, and you always want to be in each others company. Somewhere in the future, you hate the thought of losing your best buddy… and when the hatred becomes a reality, it’s always when you least expect it to and always much too soon !

Wrigley’s family are devastated.  Their goodest boy has been snatched from them suddenly, in the cruelest of ways. They do take solace in the fact that he was with them when he passed and that he knew he was loved just as much as he loved them.

Time heals… and in time the only memories will be happy ones… remembering that he WAS the goodest boy and just why he DID deserve all the fussage that came his way.

We will all miss you beautiful boy. Run free!