Snoopy, Best Boy

 Snoopy Snoppy 

Silky Bottoms, Peanut, Peanutto, Snoopino, Snoopetto, 

Baby DumDum, DumDum, Puppy-Shaped Dog, Silky Svelte-o

Sweet Snoopy passed away recently, and I've been wanting to write a little post to memorialize him, his quirks, his joy, and even his naughtiness... Our home is so much quieter without his tap-dancing toenails and vibrant spunk. Snoopy was a spunky little guy with way more than his fair share of joie de vivre. He loved to be alive. And he spread that love far and wide - he had no enemies, he never snarled or growled, he was a friend to everyone. 

This is the first picture we took of Snoopy, on the day we adopted him. What a funny looking little guy.

When we adopted Snoopy, they tried to discourage us and told us "He's a real handful!" Supposedly he had been at the county shelter for so many months that he was transferred to the SPCA in hopes of getting him adopted. But how is that even possible? I mean, we took one look at this little imp and knew he was the guy for us. 

We had strict criteria for dog #3:

- Had to be smaller than Stevie Wonder, since we had discovered she really didn't like any dogs bigger than her

- Had to be a good playmate to Dottie Bonkers (due to aforementioned friction with Stevie)

- Had to be very gentle with Yummers Potatoes the cat, who was already terrorized by Dottie

Snoopy fit all these needs and was the PERFECT match for our gang. He was a true peacekeeper and he and Dottie were immediately best pals - endlessly wrestling, playing, snuggling. Meanwhile, Stevie could go back to pretending she was actually a person and not have to socialize with the riffraff. 

I LOVE this picture. He looks like such a wee guy here.

They told us Snoopy was 4 years old when we adopted him, but doesn't he look so young in this picture?? If he was 4 when we got him, this means he was 18 years old when he died!! Either way, he lived a long and joyful life.

The first day we got Snoopy, he *immediately* snuck out a tiny hole in the fence, ran down the street, got picked up by a stranger, and was taken directly back to the animal shelter. ha ha. All's well that ends well. We convinced them we were good people, and we mended the fence! 

Snoopy wasn't really a handful - but he was a LIVE WIRE. This tiny body possessed more life force that I will ever know! He loved to sneak out the gate and run away - but we soon figured out that EVERY SINGLE TIME he just went straight to our next door neighbor's compost and got stuck in their backyard. Ha ha. 

Upon his arrival, he introduced the concept of "taking human food off the table" to Stevie and Dottie. Until then, they were two Very Good Girls who would never EVER consider taking human food without permission. Well! Snoopy was like: "look guys! Just grab it when no one's looking!" Many loaves of bread were subsequently lost to this thievery. 

Snoopy in the woods. 

Stevie Wonder, Snoopy Snoppy, & Dottie Bonkers

Our power trio

"StevieSnoopyDottie!" For so many years this trio ruled the roost - these three had so many hikes and adventures and beach days and sofa snuggles together. We used to wake up every morning and see them, and the two kitties, and exclaim "The gang's all here!" and "These are the good ol' days!" 

And what an athlete this little guy was. We marvel to remember how his little 15-pound self kept up with his big sisters for so many years - for all those hours in the woods or at the beach running through trees, jumping over logs, leaping across rocks.  He never pooped out, even though his little legs probably had to walk twice as many times to keep up with Stevie and Dottie! 

Snoopy was a watchful little guy and loved to hang out up high on the back of the sofa. He spent sooo many hours up here, napping, watching over the neighborhood, and enjoying the afternoon sun... 

FLYING INTO ACTION

... but a peaceful nap on the back of the sofa could turn immediately into a THREE ALARM FIRE with the slightest hint of movement outside the house - did someone walk by?? How dare they! A squirrel?? ACK! An unknown feline?? Spread the alarm!

Snoopy had the most excellent woooo wooooo woooo bark - when he was alerting us to neighborhood intruders, or when he was excited about going for a walk, or even just at meal time. His enthusiasm would build up and build up and the toenails would start tapping and then the would thing would boil over into a wooooo wooooo woooo of uncontrolled enthusiasm! What a spark he was! 

One of Snoopy's favorite joys was convincing his friend Dottie to lick his ears. Ahh.

Snoopy was a dedicated Beta Dog. He had no desire or need to be number one, and was very content to be at the very bottom of the family totem pole. Dare I say, he relished this position. 

He was nearly impossible to train, but was also so strongly driven to emulate everything the "cool kids" did (ie Stevie and Dottie), that he quickly caught on to our family routine. On his own, he could not be bothered to come when we called his name. Particularly if there was something else he'd rather be doing. Sometimes he'd find an old PB&J in the park and we'd say "leave it! come!" and he would look at the crusty tidbit, and look back at us, and become paralyzed with indecision. Ha ha. Usually the sandwich won. 

But! If we called Dottie, who was the world's most eager-to-please dog, she would jump up and come bounding toward us, and suddenly that was all Snoopy wanted to do, and he would come running too! Luckily for us, Stevie and Dottie were Very Good Dogs, and so the time we put into training them somehow percolated down into the stubborn recesses of Snoopy's sweet little noggin. 

Food stealer!

Snoopy was "highly food motivated," as they say. And he soon learned that people on blankets at the beach have food, and rather than enjoying the beach or playing in the water, he would merrily traverse from blanket to blanket - being adorable - and either accepting handouts or stealing treats that were not closely guarded. Like a truffle hound who can detect valuable culinary morsels in the earth, Snoopy had a refined skill for locating abandoned goldfish crackers in the sand. Over the years, I had to pay a few people for the snacks he stole- once he ate someone's half-burrito that they had left! I left them $10. Needless to say, we stopped taking the dogs to the beach in the summer, when this whole blanket-surfing trend was truly unstoppable! 

Snoopy was a founding member of the Sunshine Club, whose furry members dedicate their time to locating and appreciating the sunniest parts of the house all year long. For years, Snoopy co-chaired this committee with his benevolent colleague Yummers Potatoes, and he took over the position of full chairman after Yummers' passing. Dedicated to sun bathing well beyond the point of comfort, he would often lie in the sun, panting maniacally, but refusing to move to a cooler location. 

Look at this silky boi.

It is important to mention that Snoopy was VERY SILKY. You don't end up with nicknames like "Silky Bottoms" or "Silky Svelte-o" for nothing, you guys. He was so soft and lithe and wiggly. See how his little body just melts into that sunny sofa? He loved to be petted and scritched and held and snuggled. 

Jumping Bean of Joy

At the very end of his life, as he lost his sight and hearing and experience dementia, Snoopy became more nervous and needy - and being held, or being in his little doggie bed always calmed him down again. 

But happily, for the vast majority of his life, he was truly not a nervous being - he felt safe and confident in the world. He didn't have any deep emotional wounds or grudges to bear - he had such a light spirit that was truly appreciated by all the rest of us in the family. He helped us each find our own inner goofball.

When he was 7 years old, he had a major medical event, and was immediately paralyzed in all 4 legs, and required emergency spinal surgery in the middle of the night, at a hospital several hours from our house. It was so hard to make the decision on his behalf - but it was his joy for life that inspired us to go through with the surgery. The whole process of recovery was very long and trying (for all of us) - but his spirit and drive to play, be with us, be carried along on walks, etc was SO STRONG. That process of nursing him back to health was so incredibly intense and poignant, and I know it's a big part of the reason that I felt such a deep intimate connection with him. We could stare into each other's eyes forever. He was so trusting.

So many times we've expressed how glad we are that we took that leap of faith in having the surgery done, because he enjoyed his life post-surgery SO much for SO many more years. 

After the surgery the doctors told us that "he shouldn't jump anymore". Ha ha ha. We drove ourselves loony trying to enforce that for a bit, but ultimately conceded that you just couldn't take the jump out of this guy. We called him Jumping Bean because he was always jumping. Even at age 18, with almost no mobility, the second we got out the food bowls for dinner, he would fling himself up into the air like a salmon swimming upstream, and come crashing down... only to do it again and again. Ha ha. So Much Exurberance. 

cheeky scritches

Good Boy Spot

Lastly, Snoopy was The World's Best Snuggle Dog. He had a special spot, right next to my right armpit, called "The Good Boy Spot." He would jump up in bed and wait for his invitation "come to your Good Boy Spot!" then he would hop on over, and cuddle in for the night. All night. Every night. For all his years. He always had some part touching me. On hot nights, sometimes it would just be his little silky bum. On cold nights, he'd be smooshed up tightly against me all night long. He was like a teddy bear, but real and alive and better than any teddy bear ever. 

When I was a little girl, dreaming of having a dog of my own one day, Snoopy was everything I could have possibly dreamt of for myself. I didn't take a single moment of cuddles and laughter for granted with this little nugget. What a giant spirit in a tiny body. I hope that all his joy and spunk and energy is dissipating far and wide around the world... Cheers to you Snoopy!