A Tribute to Ozzie

Little did any of us know what the future held. As a puppy, Ozzie (named for the ball player Ozzie Smith) was nervous. Of course through the big D he was left alone for long hours each day. Surely, he would respond and shape up. It took three of us to get medicine on his paw when it was hurt. That was twice a day. Two to hold and one to bandage ...

No one could have predicted what was to happen next. Seems my driving was a "little" off one rainy Sunday coming home from church. I just happened to run into the back of a car stalled under a stoplight. It wasn't a pretty sight. I was banged up somewhat. I got rid of the lines in my forehead by putting it through the windshield. Take my advice and don't try it! There are better ways, I'm sure.

Mother was in the back seat of my Mustang and being the curious sort just had to look to see what was happening. A near fatal error. She ended up flat on her back for about a year. Finally had to have surgery. What does that have to do with a DOG? Well, Mother is not known (or was not known) for her love of having a pet in the house-especially a dog!

As fate would have it, while I taught school and the kids all attended their schools, Mother was left at home alone. She had her phone and everything she needed close by and the neighbor would check on her. But, Ozzie took it upon himself to jump up in HER favorite chair beside the bed to watch her each day. Once she tried getting up; falling on the floor. There she sat with Ozzie beside her. He had big tears running down his face as he tried to lick her face. Needless to say, they became the best of friends.

That chair became HIS chair. After she was better, the chair was moved into HIS room (my den),placed at an angle that he could watch both the outside doors, the kitchen and anything else that happened to be going on. He had the eyes of an Eagle. Nothing slipped by him unnoticed!

May I also add: Ozzie became the owner of HIS own TV! You should have been there when we had to go buy a replacement for his TV. The salesman was determined to sell a more expensive set with more remote features to use.

"No, Sir, I just don't think our dog is quite smart enough to handle that. The other one is just fine for his use."(We didn't crack a smile: very serious!)

His long ears were one of his most terrible problems. We constantly were having him to the vet's office. He experienced one ear infection after another. They were always bothering him, no matter what we did to help.

Which led to another experience. He was chosen, when he was three months old. The breeder had teenage boys at home. From best we can determine, the boys must have teased and played rough with little Ozzie. He never, ever really took to the boys and men. At some point all the vets were nipped by him, even through muzzles! It was just to say, "See, I am the one in charge! Don't forget it!"

I called him neurotic. One vet said,"If you consider being extremely nervous neurotic, then, yes, he is." He went on to say that he did not regard Ozzie as a dangerous threat to anyone. Just nervous. In other words, he was not a "vicious" animal.

As time passed the ears got worse and he had several surgeries on them. Tumors begin to enlarge in both ears and time came that he was deaf. One good result of that? He no longer got scared during thunder storms. However, he would no longer chase a tossed ball and bring it back. His only interest in a ball was to see how fast he could chew it into little pieces. He could carry around a favorite tennis ball for months (even sleep with it) and then one day decide it was time to chew it up.

Here he is "hiding" from the vibration he feels on the floor. Mawmaw is soaking her feet with the vibrator on in the water. Note that Charlie, the Yorkie, managed to get his head in the way of Grandson #1. Note, also, the patched leash! He had just come in from a walk with Grandson #1.

His deafness was not all that bad. He was so keen with his eyes, that very little got pass him. He actually learned sign language and "talked" a lot with his eyes. He had a way of looking at things to let you know what he wanted. Hungry? No problem! Just throw the dish at their feet! Go out side? Get the leash, or keep standing at the door. (All of his leashes were chewed in two at least once. It was his way of showing us he was in control. I learned quickly to just sew them together and use as is!)

He adapted to things quite well, and was very happy, especially around children. He loved children. They could pull his tail, play with his eyes, throw sand at him, or drag him all over the yard and he would just pant and smile and wait for them to do more. He never, ever let the children out of his sight when they were around.

There were the times he had to have his hair shaved off because of skin problems. Each summer, he turned into Cocker Bull, with long ears! He really did look just like a Bulldog! If it was cool weather then he had his sweaters and sweatshirts to wear. Very Proudly, too, I might add. We have a lot of photos of him with his sweaters as well as with hats, and glasses and showing off his best poses. Once we tried to take a picture of Carol's very small Chinese Crested Powderpuff pulling him around by his leash. The instant he saw the camera, he immediately sat in a pose. There was no more leading him around as long as the camera was in view. He had to look just "so".

Meet O.J. - OZ Junior - whom we adopted for our very own Ozzie Page Mascot and Cyber Pet.

~*~*~*~

Once when my third grandson was yet a toddler he lay flat on the floor; nose to nose with Ozzie. There he was sprawled out on his tummy where he could easily have been "eaten up" and yet, Ozzie was allowing him to open and shut his eyelids one at a time - back and forth. If an adult had tried, Ozzie would never had allow an eye to be touched!

Stay tuned...more to follow. He really does fit into our quilt of life. Even now there are reminders of Ozzie Dog. We have boucoups of pictures of him posed in different outfits and wearing hats and sunglasses. Numerous things are throughout the house that have indications that Ozzie was here! No way had he meant to be forgotten! Even my cane has tooth marks that he left behind.

Each Christmas Ozzie would claim just one ornament as his very own on the Christmas tree. He would go up and sniff it and check to see that it was still in place as long as the tree was up. It was always the one he managed to get OFF the tree FIRST while the tree was being decorated! Then he was happy.

Visit our many breeds of dogs and otherPETS before you leave. You will be surprised at some of them. We love them all.

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Check out the human side of the family. We really have a great love in our individual homes for our animals, especially dogs. There have also been mice, hamsters, a preyfish (it was a real pet!), guiney pigs, rabbits, ducks, a pony, goats (never turn your back on one!), and fish... a black pig named It, and of course, the parakeet,JJ, Probably some I overlooked, as well. There are dogs yet to be told about. Such as Scott's fourteen beagles. His Momma dog had nine pups with the Vet's help.

Make my master faithful to his fellow-men as I am to him.
Grant that he may be devoted to his friends and family
as I am to him.

give him a spirit of gratitude like unto my licking tongue.
Fill him with patience like unto mine that awaits his footsteps un-complainingly for hours;

fill him with my watchfulness, my courage and my readiness to sacrifice comfort or life.

A Tribute to Ozzie

one of a kind Cocker Spaniel ~~~~~~~~~~