Sophie Grose is in Doggy Heaven.

Sophie Grose

Age 15, April 15, 1995 - February 25, 2011

The light of our lives, she will live in our hearts forever. Rest in Peace, Sophie.

Once we locked eyes during a dog adoption day at the local pet store, I knew that was it. She had my heart and soul that would last for the next 15 years. We didn't know what breed she was; they thought she was an Airedale mix. It didn't matter to us. She was a little over a year old and had been given up by a couple who couldn't keep up with her. We had recently lost our Golden Retriever of 13 years and needed someone to transfer our love to. The first night was traumatic. Jimmy had to go out of town for work and I was thrilled to have someone by my side. However, that night would live in infamy. Apparently she wasn't house trained and promptly jumped on the couch to relieve herself. Mortified, I yelled, "No!" She seemed to take it as a challenge and gave me an inkling of her defiance. She ran to our bedroom, jumped on the bed and proceeded to take another pee. I couldn't believe it. Fast forward a few weeks. We rotated taking her on morning walks before work. She weighed about 50 pounds, but had the stubbornness and strength of a mule. And she resisted staying to one side of the leash. Instead, she's weave back and forth, like windshield wipers, following whatever scent caught her attention. On one of these walks, she got Jimmy tangled in her leash and down he went! He feel smack dab on a sprinkler head, cut his kneecap, tore his work pants, got all wet and came home completely disgusted. Our old Golden never behaved this way. What had we got ourselves into? We lived in a condo at the time that had a huge patio. I had over 100 potted plants out there. They were my pride and favorite pastime. I came home one day after work and she had knocked most of them over, and the ones she couldn't, she shredded. Not knowing what type of dog she was, I was convinced she was some type of terrier, but I called her my little terrorist.

The house we moved to the next year had a nice backyard with a lovely koi pond. She took to the pond immediately. Surprisingly, she didn't bother the fish, but for the next 10 years that pond would be her water bowl. That backyard gave her endless fun. She'd jump and chase birds. She was so quick she could catch them in flight. It was fascinating to watch her so focused and still as a rock before she's leap or run to catch the unsuspecting critter.