Trouble, You’re Always In Our Hearts

For those of you that have never experienced the unconditional love that a pet gives, the following diatribe will not make sense.Â
We have a teacup poodle whose name is Trouble. She is only 8 years old but due to irreparable damage to her hips, her time has come. She has bravely endured the pain without complaint and has tried her best to adapt and adjust, but she could not overcome.
Trouble came by her name quite by accident, for when we brought her home, her original name was Cinder Ella (hey it sounded good at the time). Like most puppies, she played non-stop until she dropped off to sleep instantly, as only puppies can do. Then after a brief recharge, she would take off looking for her sister, our other teacup poodle, Sammy. Upon seeing her sister, she would leap on her and the play would begin. Sammy, bless her heart, accepted this new “sister†with more good grace than most of us would have. In addition to the playful attacks on her sister, Trouble was a masterful thief, she could ease candy out of Momma’s purse while we were all in the room and none of us would be aware. Her hideout, was under our bed, where the evidence laid, candy bar wrappers, lifesaver rolls, mints, she loved them all. Had she been a jewel thief we could have been rich beyond imagination, she was that good. At times, she was brazen enough to just stroll out of the room with the candy in her mouth, like a woman on a mission! I would sharply call out “Trouble†which would result in her immediately dropping the candy and her giving me the look of “What? Me? I didn’t do anything??? I am innocent???Â
Another thing that made her so special was her self-appointed job as guardian of her people. It wasn’t so much that she was fiercely protective, but rather she, like most parents, could not rest easy until all her people were home and accounted for. She spent hour upon hour waiting at the gate for daddy or momma to return so that she had her complete family. You could call her away from the gate for a while, but soon she would sneak back to her “post†and silently wait.
Trouble was incredibly smart and had an intense curiosity, when I would fix things around the house; she was right by my side, watching intently, as if to learn so next time she could do it instead of daddy. When on Momma’s lap, she soon learned that using her paws on the keyboard would make things happen on the computer screen, while she never became an accomplished typist, she was right there always willing to help.
Traveling was something that Trouble never liked, she was a homebody and rarely even when unattended, left the yard. When Momma was outside gardening, Trouble spend many hours sniffing around the garden, keeping an eye on Momma and laying in the warm sun.Â
These are but a few of the million reasons that cute ball of fur is entrenched so deeply in our hearts.Â
We love you so much Trouble and it won’t be long until we will all be together playing your favorite game of “Where is the Momma, Where is the Daddy!