My Adventures with Wookie
Wookie was special. She thought so, and so did we.
From the day I found her in the woods with her German Shepherd protector/ entourage by her side, until the day she left us almost 18 years later, Wookie went everywhere with Dave and me. She was a Papillion mix, weighing 12 pounds at her maximum. She was my first tiny dog. I’ve never thought of myself as a tiny dog-person. Westies are the smallest dogs I’ve ever owned, and I consider them pretty small. 60-100 pounds of canine usually makes me happiest. However, Wookie was not a tiny dog at heart. She was tough, street-smart, and a walking fool. She taught me the true joy of walking with a pal, and, because of her small size, she was welcomed everywhere; into hotel rooms, onto planes, and in the homes of people who were not ordinarily dog lovers. Everyone loved little Wookie.
For 18 years she slept on top of my pillow with Dave’s hand draped over her back. She was in a TV commercial with me, as well as having several newspaper articles written about her. She was the first dog I ever took to the nursing home, and she was beloved. Due to her small size, every resident took turns holding her on their laps and stroking her. She loved them all.
Of course, Wookie came to the clinic with me everyday. She had her own bed under our reception desk where she liked to lay or be in close proximity to greet clients. I had given Wookie a tiny plastic pink bunny when she first arrived; it was her dearest friend. Everyday she came into the clinic and ran to find her “bunny” so she could toss her into the air and play “catch” herself. Then, she carefully placed “bunny” into her bed so she could snuggle against her.
While Wookie was in our lives, Dave and I were more mobile (our last few dog packs have made this less possible). Wookie loved nothing more than a road trip filled with new adventures. She didn’t like plane rides as much, but she always loved the destinations. We camped together, visited family in St. Louis and Atlanta, Georgia together, and every year we took Dave’s Mom to Florida for a beach vacation. This was everyone’s personal favorite.
Wookie made every single thing more fun with her presence, and gave me the gift of exploring each new place through our walks together. This is what I miss more than anything without her.
Next time: More on Wookie and our adventures together.
That brings back a lot of memories. I can still see her trotting in and tossing that little pink bunny up and almost gagging every morning. What a little angel.