Rules of Life According to the Poodle My name is Pepper. I was born on June 21, 2002. Diana brought me to my new home when I was 6 weeks old. I used to fit in Diana's open hand; I was a palm puppy. But now I'm huge, 14 years old and very much, the alpha female in my house. Sage is not the boss of me. Even Mike and Diana, not so much. I have rules and I think it will be helpful if everyone knows them. So please pay attention to my Poodle Rules so that we all can have a good life together. After my rules, I will show you me over the years with cutesy captions too. You can click on any of my pictures for a bigger me. My humans may have a few words at the end but rules are rules. |
Pepper List of Poodle Rules
Every snack you make, every meal you bake, every bite you take, I'll be watching you... |
This page was published to the web on Pepper's 14th
birthday, June 21, 2016. She was about 6 weeks old when
she came home to Diana, Dave and Becca to live with them in
Newport Beach California in the summer of 2002. She moved to Costa Mesa in 2005
and then to Winthrop Washington in 2009 to live with Diana and
Mike. She is an amazing dog who we fondly called puppy trash, mill
puppy and poodle trash. Mike: Happy 14th birthday Poodle! In those early days, I did not like ankle biters, still don't...mostly. I grew up with real outdoor dogs, never had a indoor lap dog. When walking to Starbucks, I'd tell Diana to stay 15 feet behind me so people wouldn't think I was with you. But over time, you actively worked on me, wore me down and ultimately won me over and you became my dog as Diana still reminds me from time to time as well as people too. You are not universally mine but primarily as you press your independence. You have your pack; Diana, Sage and I. You really do want us all to be together all the time and are visibly bothered when there are separations. Well Poodle, you made it to 16. It's now about a month after that birfday and you are doing amazingly well, though lots of meds and now some hemp (CBD) to help you along. Still a sharp knife though your physical side is slowing you down. You don't go on walk walks anymore and I stay home with you so Diana and Sage now walk alone. You have done well to learn my silly sign language hand signals. I regret not having taught you sooner though your whiffer and eyes have have been a great help too! You now have steps to the beds and the couch. You still bring us much joy while Sage seems to enjoy being more and more close to that coveted alpha dog status that you proudly wielded when Sage joined us all in 2009. I don't think he will completely get there until you blast off, though he surely could. You two are still a complementary pair. More to follow in time... It's now sadly, past time.. Pepper was euthanized on Thursday November 29, 2018 about 10:30am while sedated for dentistry and an abscess on her muzzle (cancer - less than two weeks to live at most). The Party Poodle lived for 16 years, 5 months and 8 days. She will be missed beyond any words that I can put down now, if ever. It's been 5 days now and I am not able to do more. But I will in time... December 20, 2018 - My first update to these pages since we let Pepper go. I have collected all her photos and those of her and Sage or others but I haven't tried to pick out any to share yet, really have not looked at them yet. We have gotten many comments and letters though and we appreciate everyone sharing with us. A few of you have Emailed Pepper but I didn't feel I should share. But Coventry's Email to the Poodle today is one that should be shared, we enjoyed it and I think it is somewhat a bridge for Diana and I as well. February 8, 2019 - Still can't get this done. We see you every day; greetings in the morning, good night at the end and random events during the day. We missed only 1 day, that for Sage's test drive motel overnighter trip to Wenatchee in prep for a 10 day family road trip. You were my excuse not to travel, so we are gearing up for a quick trip to Boston soon and a road trip (with Sage) to St Paul. All family stuff without the Poodle. I don't really want to leave. We have not moved past the grief nor find these pages more than little comfort. I know in time that those two will intersect, then reverse. I'm not sure I want that either... March 2, 2019 - It's 3 months and 2 days later. No effort to pick through the Poodle's pictures to put up here, haven't taken her stuff to storage, her beddie and blankie are still in the bedroom. But we did take our first trip, darn Poodle made me do it! We went to Martha's Vineyard a week ago to visit with my daughter and her spouse and my first grandson. My son and his spouse also flew into Boston and we all drove down together to the island. Wonderful time there with family, but the travel sucks. I used Pepper to shield me from that travel. Not so much now. So next up is a road trip to St. Paul. Sage is traveling with us. He should be a fine roadie and he deserves it for putting up with that alpha crap that Pepper dished out for all of his 10 years in the Poodle kingdom. May 1 2019 - It's been 5 months and 2 days. Her bulbs that we planted in December have come up and we have had 3 flowers bloom in the past few weeks. Diana got some summer flowers and we swapped out her original winter bunch last week. I haven't started on Pepper's marker yet, beyond the planning, hopefully real soon now. Yesterday we went and looked at poodle puppies at a local breeder's home in Twisp. 4 3-month old red standards were there as well as the Mom and Dad and a sister from a previous litter. We spent an hour with breeder in the yard with the entire crew. There are 2 females there, both who were very interactive and I took a liking to. But didn't have a spark or something was missing...likely Pepper I suppose. We should move forward with this chance though. The breeder is new and marvelous and I fear she will soon burn out as she spends a tremendous amount of time with her clan. Maybe, but as of today, no move has been made though I think these pups are special and nearby and it is a wonderful nexus to what we already have here in the valley. 2323 hours: Late update. Tomorrow we go to Leah's to bring Nancy (soon to be Rosemary) home. More on that soon, why now especially... May 29 2019 - It's been 6 months now since we lost Pepper. Really hasn't changed how we feel when we think of her. I have gotten some cedar planks, cut them and ready to assemble for her marker. Sage is slowing down but doing OK on meds that should give him another pretty good year. Rose is a major diversion and huge puppy effort, almost 4 months old and with us now a month and her first grooming on Saturday. It's not all about the Poodle, certainly not the Poodle but the right dog at the right time we think with Sage winding down and a major hole for Rosemary to work with some magic known as time. Not Thyme, not yet anyway. June 9 2019 - I finished Pepper's grave marker today (see bottom of page). Sadly it took me several months longer than it should have taken. It looks good I think and really is rather perfect. July 29 2019 - It has been 8 months now and still not a day goes by without greeting Pepper in the morning, at bed time or coffee on the deck overlooking the Poodle, usually 2 of those 3. That Rose surely is a diversion, wonderful as she is, I feel sad that sometimes I forget about Pepper. Sage is doing OK but he is showing signs too. We put him on CBD's, as we did the Poodle and with great improvement, just like the Poodle. Someday surely, there will be a cross-over point. I can't even come to think about any of that either. November 14, 2019 - I didn't really intend to come here today, more stumbled upon it. We are well aware she is just a few weeks away from a year. It is sad and I do wish to put up a few pics to time with her one year in death. I needed to make that commitment today, so I will now. We do miss her, though that Rose is a dominant force too. Just like the Poodle she has a way to deal with her humans. At times, she reminds us of the same traits we saw and experienced with that Pesky Poodle. And sadly, Sage is showing more signs of his medical issues. I had a small excavator come in for his spot near Pepper a month ago. November 29, 2019 - It has been a year now. So sad and not ready to say much on this day. We miss her greatly and it is no easier now than the day we buried Pepper in our yard just below the house. Rosemary is a diversion and deserves a place in our hearts. But she is not a replacement. I added one pic today, our 2012 Christmas picture. It appeared randomly a few days ago on Google, a random appearance. Miss you Poodle.. December 4, 2019 - My first effort to pull up some Poodle memories by posting a picture that was representative of her personality. This was from our time in the condo. Pepper was 6 year old at that time. November 29, 2020 - It's been 2 years now since Pepper left us. It is still very sad and feels at times both that she just left us and has been long gone. Miss the Poodle, the walks to Starbucks, the geocaching with her along on the hunts, the lap time, the paw at night her signal to lift the covers so she could burrow down inside for warmth. It's cold winter day, her spot below is looking fine. The new big red Poodle is with us now but takes up a different place in our hearts, Sage is doing well and may make it through this winter too. It is not all sad but surely a big hole is still here without the Poodle. June 19th, 2021 - I stopped by again and fixed some typo's and grammar this morning. Still no action to add to the site. I just don't or can't quite get with the program. Thought about June 14th, the 2.5 year point since Pepper died and June 21st, her birthday, but still no spark to work here yet. I did create some space for Sage and Rosemary. Miss you Poodle!.- Diana: I know that as time goes by I will forget details about
Pepper’s last days so I want to write them down, even though it
is still fresh and painful. Others who have known me: Coventry, December 20, 2018 Hello Pepper!
Gunner and Luci Pepper's Place, for now. In the spring, a more permanent marker. Pepper's Place, now with her new marker, June 9, 2019. If you wish to provide or share any words, send them to: pepper@otwc.net |
Last revised: Saturday, June 19, 2021 |