Death Comes Suddenly

Phoenix - June 18, 2006 to January 27, 2018

The following was written in sections through the years; it is provided here as a memorial to our happy-go-lucky Phoenix, who died Saturday, January 27, 2018.

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What a little treasure! He's the newest canine addition to our family, having been adopted at ten weeks old on August 27, 2006. This little guy was very mild-mannered and an absolute joy to integrate into the rest of our dog and cat family group. As you can see from his puppy photos, his ears took longer to come up than Pooka’s did! It had been six years since I had a puppy to raise so I totally loved every single minute -- even his crying when he was in his crate!

    The decision to get a Cardi pup instead of a Pem was not easy; we had considered another Pem from Pooka's breeder (because we love Pooka so much) earlier in the year but the timing of that litter wasn't right for us. That inadvertent delay allowed us to revisit our concerns with the process of docking dogs' tails and, therefore, provided us with the opportunity to get a Cardi instead for our second Corgi. We love our Pooka to pieces! However, we decided to try a Cardi and see what their personalities were like, as we already loved their appearance as well. I'd been told that they're a bit more mellow in some ways than the Pems, so it was extra fascinating raising our little Phoenix.

    Initially, I contacted Cardi breeders just to meet the breed and not to get a puppy! HA! Silly me ... as if I could do that! And Ron thinks Corgis are the best dogs ever so he was no deterrent at all. Interestingly enough, although I was thinking last Spring that we ought to get a boy puppy whenever it happened, when I talked with the Cardi breeder, I asked if they had a girl available (just curious, of course). They did and so when I was driving up for a visit, my mind was on possibly getting a girl puppy...even though I knew that I needed to keep an open mind about the girl and the boy that they had available. And wasn’t really intending to get a puppy at all right then. As it turns out, the minute I met Phoenix ... I was lost ... I fell head over heels in absolute love with this charming fella! LOL The girl, while a real cutie-pie, was not the personality I was seeking and I wasn't drawn to her the way I was to Phoenix -- and him to me. I felt Phoenix was meant to come live with us.

    Phoenix' registered name is: Blue Wagn Maxillaria Phoenix. The "maxillaria" part is in honor of this being one of the "Orchid Litter" for the breeder Lucybell Roessiger; I went searching on the internet and found there is an orchid called Maxillaria phoenicanthera that is a lovely golden color with a touch of white. It seemed appropriate since we had already chosen his name as Phoenix.

    As most people know, the Phoenix, originally from Egyptian mythology, is a sacred 'firebird' with extremely long life who can be reborn after its death (immortality and resurrection); it is believed by some that this myth derived from the "death" and "rebirth" of our planet's Sun during a Solar Eclipse. The Phoenix' plumage is bright gold and red as it is historically a Sun Bird; depending upon what source one reads, the plumage can also include purple and azure. Everything came together in perfect synchronicity for both our adoption of Phoenix as well as his naming. Ron is the one who found and liked the name Phoenix...and as soon as he suggested it to me, I knew instantly that it was perfect for our new little boy. 

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    Phoenix has grown up so fast!!! He's a sweet, lovable, mellow, charming fellow; while he loves a good romp in the yard and thoroughly enjoys our long walks, he's also already becoming quite the couch potato and will settle beautifully on the couch or a dog bed. When he gets excited, though, he loves to nip the heels of Morgana and Chiana...which they dislike, of course! And that can start a ruckus! LOL While Phoenix and Pooka are still not “buddies,” Pooka at least now tolerates Phoenix. Phoenix has learned to retrieve as long as I stay excited about the game. And he rides in the back seat of our KIA (when he was little, he always rode with his harness on - secure and helped with training), while Pooka still rides in the front passenger seat. 

    From the very first, Morgana (our Smooth Collie) took on the role of 'nanny' to Phoenix (just as she had with Pooka) and they're great playmates for each other; she was incredibly gentle with him when he was so tiny, although now they play quite a bit rougher together. Phoenix was a remarkably easy-going chap to get along with even as a 7 month old puppy. At  a little over 6 months old, I couldn't stand the separation at night any longer and so finally allowed him to sleep on the bed - oh how he does love it still! 

    There is a quite humorous essay written called The Truth About ... Corgis and my, oh my, is it ever true! While I’m a total Corgi Convert (sorry Collies, but you’re too big and have too much hair for this woman to want to deal with anymore! LOL), I have to confess that there are so many truths in that essay, including, the line that these dogs “have a tendency toward something called megalomania”. Much in this essay describes perfectly the relationship I see between Phoenix and Pooka (although, to be honest, it describes Pooka's temperament more than that of Phoenix). I mean, come on, is the bone the other dog has REALLY all that much better?! LOL Phoenix has been seen to put three bones in his mouth at one time in order to keep them away from the other dogs, while Pooka sounds like a rabid Badger trying to steal one or keep it away from Phoenix! I could go on and on about this behavior which is at one time completely hysterical and at another can be annoying as all get out (when one is trying to concentrate).

    Anyway, suffice it to say that we adore Phoenix and trust that he will bring us joy and laughter for many years! LOL

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     The move to Arizona in 2011 was easy for Phoenix; he doesn’t seem to care where we are as long as we are all together and enjoys our long walks together. As he matures, he is getting a little more bossy with Pooka as they jostle for alpha position, but otherwise he is still extremely easy-going, enjoys brief snuggles and exploring new sights. Phoenix and Pooka could usually be found sharing the same bed, blanket, or couch, or lying next to each other in the yard or on the floor, in spite of their sometimes contentious relationship. When Pooka died in September 2014, it was clear that Phoenix mourned the loss of his long-time buddy, so we did our best to help him through the process.

Pooka (L) & Phoenix (R)

    The move to Missouri in 2015 was also simple for Phoenix. He truly takes everything in stride, with good humor. He has always been fantastic -- and patient -- with the little stray Chihuahua (named Widget) that we had adopted in February 2014. Phoenix has never been aggressive (even when play-scrapping with Pooka); it’s not in his nature. He might try to be possessive of toys, but never in a violent manner like some dogs. Not a cuddle-dog (brief cuddles suited him but not longer), Phoenix needed to always be in the same room with me but as long as he could observe me, that was enough for him. The herding instinct in him emerged as watchfulness, rather than the need to control.

    Sadly, in November 2017, Phoenix was diagnosed with Lymphoma. We chose to keep him as comfortable as possible for as long as we could maintain a good quality of life for him (usually, the time frame for this cancer is fairly rapid in dogs). By mid-January, we sensed his time was approaching when a decision would have to be made. However, Phoenix really took the choice out of our hands; during the last week of January, he seemed to go off his food a little and was more tired, and then, Saturday morning about 2am, his system basically crashed. It was clear that an organ had ruptured (or something similarly sudden) and he was in rapid decline. I scrambled to locate a vet that would make an emergency house call for euthanasia and found one. By late evening, within less than 24 hours of his collapse, my sweet, gentle Phoenix was gone.

Phoenix (with Widget in background)

    I am having a difficult time coming to terms with the loss of Phoenix since he was not even 12 years old; I had expected him to live at least a couple more years as he had always seemed so sturdy, healthy, and hardy. But, we just never know, do we? One would have thought that I had thoroughly learned that lesson; Phoenix is my 8th dog to die in my arms.