Our Sammy

So, I realized this week that I haven’t written a post about our incredible dog, Sammy- don’t worry she didn’t die. I also thought as we enter mid-December chaos that everyone could use a good puppy picture!

In November 2014, we had just gotten home from our honeymoon when we decided to go ‘look’ at a few dogs at St. Hubert’s. I insisted that if we didn’t find the right dog for us, then we would head home. James was convinced that we were not going to leave St. Hubert’s without a dog, given my big sappy heart (spoiler alert: he was right). James and I had not gotten a dog while we were dating or while living in our apartment, so we decided after our honeymoon would be a good time. James had never owned a dog. My dog, Harvee, passed away the year after college and I hadn’t had a dog since then. We had looked online and had seen St. Hubert’s had some potential options, including a beagle/foxhound puppy named George (my dad’s name is George). So we met with an adoption counselor and went through our wish list- good with other dogs (so our friends with dogs could come over), good with kids (for when my nephews would visit), and active (so James could take the dog on walks). We took a tour through the dog wing and came upon the kennel that held George and another litter mate. We decided to take them both to a room to meet them. George would not leave us alone in the room, she would sniff then come back to us, sniff a few other places then come back to us again. The other puppy was not as interested in us, but don’t worry, as soon as we picked George, the litter mate was taken to another room where a different family adopted her.

We left St. Hubert’s with George, renamed her Sammy (after my college mascot- Go Gulls) and promptly purchased a few hundred dollar’s worth of dog supplies from Petco. Sammy was the most adorable puppy. She really gave us a crash course in parenting (puppies are harder than babies)! After a few weeks we eventually figured out crate training. After a few months we caved and let her sleep in our bed (where she is presently snoring next to me). She graduated from every St. Hubert’s training course available and yet only retained 3 things- sit, wait, and down (I realize this is our fault for not being consistent in training her). She is extremely food driven, even at 11 years old she begs at the table, counter surfs, and attempts to eat off the table if left to her own devices. She gets 2-3 walks a day, thanks to her ‘walking is my love language’ Dad (see prior blog post), but seriously James and Sammy love each other so much! Sammy loves kids, she loves going to the park with Jackie and kissing all the kids that go up to pet her, she also loves going to the bus stop for the same reason. She loves her cat siblings although Violet is bossing her around a bit, whereas Robbie was scared of her, and Pepper and her had a beautiful bond after 9 years together. She is a true beagle/foxhound mix, although not a huge barker, she is about 45 pounds and taller than a beagle. Scents are heaven for her, so is rolling in dead stuff. We have lost 7 couches to her scratching to settle down for a nap. Since December 2023, she has rarely left my side except for food and walks. After my stroke, a lot of people suggested a seizure dog. After some research, the goal of a seizure dog is to comfort the person experiencing the seizure, well she does that tenfold. On the night of my seizures the paramedics had to ask James to move Sammy away from me so they could work on me. Over the last 2 years she has snuggled with me after every hospital stay, all those early bedtimes because of my anti-convulsants and daytime naps. She lies in bed or on the floor until I tell her to go downstairs to eat or James must call her. She loves bedtime stories in Jackie’s bed, now that I can stay awake for them. She also likes to sleep under the blanket when I am lounging on the couch. She even keeps Mom company during the day when she isn’t in my office with me. I keep telling her we need her to live a few more years because I don’t think I could manage losing her right now.

I recently learned that dogs have been domesticated for 15-30,000 years and they have evolved to have a muscle in their forehead to show the white parts of their eyes, which humans use to recognize their children. I am so thankful Sammy chose us 11 years ago and for all her unconditional love throughout that time!

Any other dog lovers out there? Let’s see some pictures.