"Lady" Pug
When I entered
the little room which made the office of the Association,I was stunned by
the multitude of posters with dogs and amazed to find so many people there,some
of them with their dogs.The President Mr. Petru Muntean,who now is the president
of The Romanian
National Kennel Club and International judge or many breeds,and became one of our dearest and best friend of the family,asked me if I didn't rather take a Pug.I had no idea at that time how a Pug looked like and he showed me a Black/White picture...That picture was so ugly...that I wondered who am I going to bring at home such an "unusual"dog...But,well as I am a very polite person i sad "OK".At that time I didn't know much about dogs, as a specialist I mean,about breeds,temperaments...bla,bla,bla.I just loved dogs.That's not all,not only I found a doggy,but I got a part-time job,as their secretary too...and that was the beginning of an unexpected experience.I had the chance to meet so many wonderful people and to go,with my family and my dog(s) to Dogshows and Dogs Training camps,to have really a "good time".Someone from the club went to pick-up our new dog from another town and brought her to my office...I saw a very strange little being with big black eyes and an even darker mask.She was skinny,infested with flea,hungry,scarred and...cute !.I took the afternoon off and we went home.My mother hugged her right away and we hid her in a room so my daughter,returning from school,won't find her immediately.After lunch Georgiana was allowed to see "the surprise" .She simply said :"Wow,what an wonderful little dog!" And here she is in 1990.We got her in 1998 .
Well,my
mother got really busy in the first days with the grooming and the
hunting of the
flea...But, little lady pug entered our lifes"con brio" A little dominant
pumnkin,donut,cabaggeroll,sausige...with big eyes and an even bigger appetite.She
would have made the best private investigator ever...there were no places
in our home unchecked...I bet she even know what's in the fridge!...She started
"talking" very quickly...She wasn't begging for food,or treats...she
was " demanding",arguing with us without any respect for any kind of 'hierarchy"
in the pack,because there was no pack....just her !Sweet litlle bug...my
dearest Aiki,who brouth us so much joy.One evening a man came to The
association and,simply,just like that,abandonned his Cavalier because
his wife couldn't stand dogs with hair !!! Guess who adopted him ...us, of
corse. So, little Aiki got a companion...Everything was OK for her except
hel bowl.nobody could approach her bowl until she was done,and then she went
checking in Ira's bowl to make sure he doesn't get anything different...
Little by little I became more and more involved with my new hobby.I learned
a lot about dogs,breed and I even did assistantship to become judge for
Hounds...simply because I could only judge breeds I didn't "own".
My family,my
dogs and me,we started traveling during the weekends to different Dogshows
and obedience competitions and we had such a good time.My dogs were not'standard"
and I really didn'y care,at all.We loced them dearly and going places with
them was just an extremelly relaxing and enjoyable experience.That's how
we found Rita,the Borzoi...and then, my "Hounds judging"...was gone....But
we made new friends and we met wonderful poeple,and that's more important
than anything else.In this picture you can see my daughter Georgiana with
the three of them, as they were in 1998,in early spring: Ira, Aiki and Rita.What
a trio...
How cute
!Guess who was the " boss"..Aiki,of corse ! Unfortunelly ira was a very distraut
little dog and he was very secure only at home,where together with Aiki,
they looked like a little "train",Aiki was the locomotive and Ira the first(and
only)car.He followed her everywhere,while Rita was watchimg them from " a
distance".She was lying on a coach and looking at them with some sort of
" aristocratic superiority"!.Ira died in a very unfortunate traffic accident,and
I never ever let my dogs off leash in town or in an unfenced aria.Never.
Let's get back to Aiki's story...For a doglover,every day is a story in it self.Every picture brings back all sorts of memories...some joyfull,some sad...a moment of our own life was captured in an instant and one can remember everything which happened before that moment and after.When one has pets, it feel like the time doesn't go by...at least this how I felt.They don't change too much.One can see signs of old age,but their spirit doesn't change.Maybe that's another reason why it is so painful when they have to go...Not only a little light is turned off in your soul and in your life,but you realise that time did went by too.
Well,here
she is...stealling from the table.This was while we were living in a Red
Cross Camp in Lausanne,three people and three dogs...in a very very small
room...but in our own " world". I red recently ( 2001) a marvelous booklet
about pugs,written by Phil Maggitti..."multum in parvo".tha's so true...they
fill in the hause...they are there all the time...you cannot doubt their
presence...even whe they sleep...and
snore...
You
see....a real lady...with a little hat.Cuddling and eating and being with
mom...what a life ! but she was with usfor 14 years....In Romania, in Swizterland
and finally in Canada...Aiki was a fighter...she never gave up her optimism
and her " obsessions".no matter she was...she adapted so quickly to every
change and she was the pillar for Toto,our King Charles,because he was a
very sensitif little dog...fearfull,insecure...but she mannaged somehow to
keep his spirits up all the
time.
Here she
is in our appartment in Lausanne sitting on the most envied armchair in the
world,because that's where I used to sit and watch TV with the three of them
around.I've always wondered what would they tell us if they could learn our
way of communicating with sounds...Yes,we use to imagine what they are
thinking,we take their mimic and add feeling and moods,which are true...but
I really really would like to know they real thoughts when they looke at
us.I know,it's impossible,but I think you could have learned even
more...Well.maybe you should be happy with their presence and their love
their unbelievable,incredible
frankness.
Well,we
have tremendous memories about Aiki...she was brave and very sociable.We
went to Moscow together,for a Dogshow,because she was the only available
Pug ...but,in Moscow there were other Pugs...so...we didn't win but un "
Excellent" certificate.Who cares !!We had so much fun and we met great people
because our team,made up of 2-3 judges and 4-5 " competitors" we've been
accomodated by Russian families from The Moscow Kennel Club.Russian people
are wonderful hosts.That happened in Sept.1998. But, as I said before,time
passes by so " silently" sometimes and you don't realise that nothing lasts
for ever.Our little pumkin,little saussage,little ladybug...and so many more
nicknames....was getting older...and sick....and the unbelievable happened...she
refused food on a Wednesday and I tryed her with cottage
cheese....
She
liked it...and she ate it...and I fooled myself...although there was a "little
voice" in my soul telling me that her time with us is running short....and
I could only pray to be painless....She was 14 1/2 years old,almost blind
and very very slow.You might accuse me,but you shouldn't.I did not " put
her to sleep"...because her only joy in life was to be with us.She was watching
us all the time,she had to have her cussion in a place were she could see
everything..and she slept with me...Friday night,when we went to bed she
was so weak already...and I know that it was my last night with my dearest
Aikitta....She went over The Rainbow by 6 am.I did not decide the time of
her birth,how could have I possibly decided the time of her passing,when
she was sent to us by " her destiny" if you want?!Farewell my dear little
" soulmate" and may God forgive all the suffering we might have caused you.Thank
you Aiki for your love and for sharing with us your life.We'll always
love you. Her "official" name was : AIKI de XIANGTAN
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