Brandy

Our dog Brandy was getting up there in age. When she was only nine she started to act old. It was hard watching her slow down, watching the fur get gray around the muzzle and her eyes getting a little cloudy. But, I think the hardest part was that she was going senile. I had always been able to talk to her as if she were a person and she would do what I said. If she were laying on our bed and I needed her to get off, I would simple say, “I need to make the bed, Brandy, get down.” And she would. It got the point where commands had to be repeated several times to get her to do it. I am not sure if she isn’t hearing me or if she is just ignoring me. Her behavior had gotten a little strange. She sometimes woudn't get off of the deck in the back of the house and acted like she was afraid of the grass.
Brandy was a German Shepherd, collie mix with thick medium length fur. We brushed her a lot but she still shed huge amounts of fur through out the year. I don’t understand how she could shed so much and still have fur left.
Sometimes I would look at Brandy and I realized that she wouldn’t be with us forever. I would softly whisper to her, “ when it is your time to go, dear girl, we are getting a small, non-shedding, lap dog.”
Well we lost our great Brandy yesterday. At some point in the future, we will get a small, non-shedding lap dog. But the new puppy won't be taking Brandy's place. No one can replace her. She was a good dog, a smart dog and she will be sorely missed.