A year ago we were treasuring every day with our beloved 6 and a half year old dog, knowing that he had only a short time to live because of hemangiosarcoma.
lost him on 4th of July, 40 days after the shocking news that the seemingly healthy dog who could race up the stairs in a flash wasn’t just under the weather or maybe snake-bit, but actually had a gigantic tumor on his heart, a heart that stopped beating that day while the vet was checking him out. She revived him. We spoiled him as much as we could.
A soft-coated wheaten terrier / bichon mix, I had picked him because he was joyful, like a bichon, but big enough to be an athletic companion for the then-gloomy teen… not too big to still be a lap dog, nothing threatening because I don’t have much experience with dogs.
He had such soft fur, so loyal, a 25 pound lap dog who could leap tall couches in a single bound, so fast we nicknamed him ‘the beige bullet”. So much personality.
He was the Lost one, my heart.
I had no idea that the mix was uncommon.
After our little ‘Beige Bullet’ died, i couldn’t bear to get another dog for a while. Started looking a few months later, Looked for rescues, asked about bichon rescues, no one ever got back to me. We considered berniedoodles, maybe a beagle. I wanted one not more than 30 lbs as adult because I’m older and may need to lift and carry occasionally; I see my sis struggle with her Goldies and it sure can be tough.
We already have a springerdoodle, he’s good though needing a little finesse (my partner’s job). He’s also a bit obsessive and I pictured the beleaguered new pup being constantly harassed by the springerdoodle.
Then we found a littler of “bichon mix” advertised, and we called and it turned out they were half wheaten. I was so damn happy though scared. Thought it over and decided to get two, a boy and a girl. The two pups can be buddies and sort of balance out the more domineering springerdoodle, we thought. It’s working out well between the three so far.
Partner flew and then drove back 9+ hours with these two little lumps of sugar. They were not even expensive. They are the Found ones. I am so damn happy. Wish BB was here to meet them, as my son said.
I posted the picture even though it wasn’t a great photo in order to share my joy and serious gratitude at finding our two new family members. I am a Lostnfound, a collection of assorted objects collected in 60 years of life, not exactly cohesive or ordered. But also “I once was lost but now am found”, a song that always moves me to tears, im the spirit of joy at a prodigal son returning, a redemption of something broken, a kintsukuroi (a broken thing whose repair has made it flawed but better).
And wheaten-bichons? I highly recommend them. I don’t understand why they aren’t thousands of them. They are just delightful.
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