Nikki was a black Labrador Retriever/Dalmation mix. But she didn't know she was a dog. She thought of herself as a funny-looking, oversized cat. The real cats, however, knew the difference. I guess that's 'cause when she first came to live with us, Nikki was a tiny puppy, smaller than 2 of the 3 cats living with me at the time. Eventually Nikki tipped the scales at 80 lbs., but she still respected the raised paw of any cat.
Nikki loved to go for long walks and car rides.
She would sit in the car with her nose pressed against the window
so that she could see everything.
Trips to Lake Texoma were her favorite because not only did she get
to ride in the car, she also got to ride on the boat!
Nikki had no hesitation in jumping in the boat and once she realized
that the doggie life vest would keep her head above water (Nikki was
not really fond of getting wet) she would join us in the water as well.
Although she did get a little annoyed when she would swim out to
an infaltable raft and then not be allowed to climb on.
Back when I played competitive volleyball (many injuries ago), Nikki used to go with me to outdoor tournaments. Most of the time she would be content to sit under a tree and watch the game, but if a volleyball came too close, she was off like a shot to capture the errant beast. While catching a volleyball wasn't a bad idea, the way Nikki did it left a lot to be desired. She would chomp down on the ball and puncture it! She was even nastier to footballs and soccer balls. Nikki would pop the stitching and then carefully pull the ball apart. Of course, she also loved to peel tennis balls.
In 1995, Nikki slipped on the stones surrounding
the Lake Big Fish and tore up her knee.
She had to have surgery to repair an ACL tear.
Nikki was really bummed about the whole thing and kept chewing
out her stitches until the vet gave us the Elizabethan collar.
Then she became a walking danger zone.
Nikki would hobble through the house, swinging her head from side to side
and whacking everything and everyone that come too close.
I had to buy new food and water dishes that were tall and narrow so that
she could get the collar around the bowl.
I was really bummed about the whole episode, too.
Nikki's surgery cost a whole lot less than
when I had to have my knee fixed.
Nikki was very patient when Murphy the Silly Dog joined the family. It took a while for her to realize that she was actually allowed to snap at him and put him in his place (number 2 dog). Nikki was also very good with kittens. A dog's tail is a very attractive toy to a kitten, and Nikki's tail was no exception. It was fun to watch Nikki slowly move her tail back and forth while a kitten pounced on it. And if the kitten actually caught her tail and started to chew on it (kittens like to chew on the things they catch), Nikki would simply sit there with a long-suffering expression on her face. When she was tired of the game, Nikki would slide her tail underneath her body where the kitten couldn't reach it.
As the years wore on, Nikki started to have problems with her hips. This is very common in older dogs, particularly the larger breeds. She had trouble walking, and sometimes had to have assistance to stand up. We kept the end at buy for a while with pain medication, but one day Nikki's hip just gave out completely. She was in so much pain, and there was nothing that could be done. Nikki crossed the Rainbow Bridge where her good friends Merlin, Simon and Oberon were waiting to lead her to the fields of play.
Copyright © 2000 by Liz Gensheimer.