We were blessed to be able to travel home to Arkansas and visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday.  On Friday night, my sisters Standard Poodle just wasn’t feeling well.  Moiriane was over 11 years of age, but had been an amazingly healthy dog during her life.  Lisa and I had talked about her ‘growing old’ over the last few months, not being able to jump up on the bed, not really wanting to play much.  Friday night/ Saturday morning.. around midnight, Lisa went to the bathroom and found Moiriane looking very ill on the bathroom floor.  She woke me up and asked me what she should do.  We talked about it for a bit, I asked Moiraine if she wanted a cookie or to go bye bye and got no response.  That was it, she had to go to the vet.  Four hours later, Moiriane coded on the emergency vet’s table.  Her bloodwork showed a infection, but nothing firm.  She was so stoic, as these Standard Poodles always are.  I think that is one reason they die so quickly, because they hide pain so well.

Moiriane had no papers, we have no idea on her pedigree.  She was a beloved pet, the first ‘Blue” standard Poodle I had ever seen.  She was independent, loved her stuffed toys, and very very opinionated!  I have fond memories of Moiriane and Indigo, my old Black and Tan Shiba Inu, having tug ‘wars’ over toys when we would visit.  The girls kept it civil… just barely.  Both were serious about who would have the toy, neither would give in, both would sit there growling at the other, pulling on the toy until Lisa or I would step in and break up the ‘game’.

Merlot was the only dog Moiriane ever respected.  If we were not careful, she would squat and pee when he would come in the door, during our visits in her younger years.  Moiriane didn’t submissive pee for any dog but Merlot.  Her love of kids was unsurpassed.  She adored children!  Adults she could take or leave, but kids… that was where it was at!!  She was extremely smart, easy to live with, and had a serious sweet tooth!  You could not leave any sweet item on the kitchen counter without risk.  She lived for food, but especially sweets.

Merlot was the dog who converted my sister into a Std Poodle lover, but Moiriane was the matriarch, the Queen, the first Lady of the poodles in our family!  She would be very sad if anyone should forget it.

It was a hard trip home, with sick kids, car issues, my sisters beloved girl passing.  They say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  Well, I am hopeful December will hold fewer opportunities to ‘grow’ as a person.