Melody was born on September 18th, 2002. She came to us, like Alex, in a crate on a plane. Unlike Alex, when she arrived, she was terrified, cowering as far back in the little puppy crate as possible, trying desperately to be as small as a mouse, if not invisible. She had just had her ears cropped, and she looked SO forlorn.
We had to scoop her out of the crate, or who knows how long it might have taken for her to come out. She was frightened, and you could see she had no idea what was happening to her.
When we got home, we bundled her in a pile of blankies, and talked quietly to her. But it was Alex who captured her heart, her trust and her love. He was so gentle with her, and she blossomed into the crazy, bossy, loud little girl we came to adore. He would clean her ears, stand over her while she explored the yard, and they would kiss each other, and sleep in each other's arms. True fairy tale.
She never quite warmed to being petted a lot, and if you went beyond her shoulders, she would get very jumpy. But when she was little, she would race towards David, and take flying leaps into his lap, never doubting that he would catch her, or that he wanted her there.
She would spend hours running up and down the fenceline, barking at dogs, bicycles, birds, ghosts, or barking to try to start something, if there was nothing happening. She loved to stir up trouble. She would even instigate rumbles within the dog family, just to have a bit of excitement, then she would kiss everyone, as if to say thanks for the adrenalin jolt.
But she had a huge, golden heart. She loved to snuggle, in her own way and on her own terms, and she would come racing up to you and start screaming in your face, demanding attention, fun and love. She never took a 'vacation' - even when she was pregnant and had a torn ligament, and was under doctor's orders to moderate her running, jumping, climbing - she wouldn't compromise her zest for her life on her own terms. When they said she wouldn't be able to jump, she just poo-poo'ed it, and continued to do what Melody seemed meant to do. She learned commands, but really had no use for them. She knew what she wanted, and she figured out how to get it.
We know Melody's tale might sound like the story of a badly raised Doberman. Please rest assured that she was raised very well. But, being Melody, our crazy, broken, fragile little ladybug tank, she disregarded what she didn't want to hear, and was pretty much thoroughly delightful for an altogether too short a stay. On New Year's Eve, 12/31/2008, at just 6 years and 3 months, Melody laid down and died by our bed. Fare thee well, Mrs. Doodle - Now you and Alex can be a loving, happy couple forever, and always healthy, pain free and young. Oh, we do miss you, baby girl!
