Seeing your dogs brings up a lot of memories.
As a kid, I always wanted a Dalmatian, but being in the Navy most of my working life and always gone, it just did not work. 10 years ago, as I was in the process of retiring, one of the civilian clerks mentioned she needed to find a good home for her Dalmatians (2 yr old brother and sister), I quickly volunteered a large home with several fenced acres to roam after I retired. Long story make short, they moved to TN with me. Lots of energy barely describes their go, found them somewhat hard to train but did accept basic commands (then found out both had some hearing loss after visiting the vet), seemed to be always getting hurt and overly protective of their territory (which included me). They loved to ride in the truck and tractor (sometimes not a good thing as they would jump up on the cab steps wanting in as I was moving).
Had to put the male down two years ago due to a type of dog dementia and loss of eyesight (sad day) but the female seemed in good health before I found her dead one morning about a year later on the dog pillow that her brother and she slept on (very sad day). At night, I let her stay inside and sleep on the foot of my bed after her brother was gone but that night she crawled up between my wife and I and kept licking my hand and the back of my head, so I may her get down out the bed and shut the bedroom door. In the past, she would be sitting a the bedroom door waiting for it to open when we got up. That morning she was not sitting at the door. The cold chill that hit me told me she was gone. Buried her next to her brother, her favorite place.
Thanks for the picture.
