Secret Life of Dogs

Secret Life of Dogs.

Homage to my own special dog.

Here is a little story about our much loved and missed dog Treacle, she passed away five years ago on April 26th 2019. Treacle was part of our family for 13 years.

Treacle Cinderella Cherry the 1st ......... to give her full name, was a unique dog. We never actually worked out what breed she was. When she found her family at the rescue centre (she chose us and not the other way round). We were told that she was a Collie mixed with a little bit of Boxer, a Bollie if you like.

Within days of her coming home with us we soon realised that this dog certainly had a little bit of a greyhound or whippet as part of her DNA, she could run faster than lighting, she looked like a gazelle in flight bounding across fields jumping through the the long grass when on long walks. The sight of her at Naburn Lock one of her favourite places, running, sniffing around and even swimming (how that terrified us) She was a great swimmer.

Treacle was a real family member, I can't say pet because she was she was more than that. She was central to everything we did as a family. Walks, holidays family events everything revolved around Treacle.

She made a point of keeping us in check, rounding us up making sure we were all ok. Making sure she sat somewhere in the house (halfway down the stairs) or garden in which she could see all of us. That must have been her collie sheepdog traits.

Invariably the family grow and along came little children and babies, Treacle adapted, she never moaned and silently accepted that her pack had altered, she saw this a means to get more love from more of her human pack. She always knew that who ever came along she always knew that she was top dog and the boss of the flock of chickens, commandeering the chickens sand pit, much to the annoyance of the hens. It made us laugh knowing that she would not be out bossed by a mere chicken.

Such was the appeal of our beloved Treacle that when her big human sister Laura left home to move in with her boyfriend, Treacle would excitedly go to her house for sleep over once a week. The looks she and I would get when I would bump into my fellow dog walking friends and I would embarrassingly say "she's just going for a sleepover".

When old age got to her bones we all knew that we had to let her go, all of the family came to see her one last time to say their farewells.

Her sisters, Louise and Laura and her cousins Roman and Oscar, the full family all said their goodbyes. It was a sad time, but it was a lovely time for her she felt loved and unafraid. Treacle knew, she was in her element like the Queen of England with all of her subjects bowing and saying their farewells and tickling her tummy one last time.

Although she is no longer with us, she is still a real presence in the family, when we bravely go to places in which we know she would have loved, retracing her steps to the field or beach, we get a real sense that she is looking down on us making sure we are ok, and she is excitedly waiting with one of her toys when we arrive home.

God bless you Treacle hope your enjoy the fields up in heaven x we will never ever forget you x.