Taz and Skully Border Collie Dogs on a MountainThose of you who know us on a personal level, will know that I lost my two beautiful Border Collies, Taz and Skully, nearly two years ago, both aged 18 years!  Yes, for 18 years my furry ickle friends, or “the kids” as they were so affectionately known, stuck by my side, through thick and thin.

Anyone who has lost a pet they have loved will understand that it really is just as painful (if not worse) than loosing a human family member.  I’m not ashamed to admit that to this very day I still miss them both so much, that I do still feel physical pain in my heart and I do still think about them both several times a day.

One of the best ways I’ve found to deal with this loss is to remember all the fun times we had together and believe me, we had thousands!

They first arrived when I was living in Scotland and I myself was a mere twenty something!  They were such a handful, I’m thinking I could perhaps compare the lifestyle change to actually having had twins!!  My whole life took a different direction at that point and I started to grow up and accept my responsibility as a “mum” quite seriously.  They became a huge part of my life very quickly and that is why they became fondly known as “the kids”.  Living in Scotland was a fabulous life experience and one I perhaps should blog about too.  It gave us some of the greatest “fantastic adventures” of walking in the hills and exploring stone circles, kicking up the fallen leaves and rolling around in the freezing snow.  The kids would run for miles and miles, bouncing with excitement and collecting sticks as they went.  Sticks, thousands of sticks, I would find them everywhere, if only the kids where around now, they could collect firewood for the burner 😉

We moved around a little and thinking back, the kids must have moved house with me a total of 6 times.  They never complained, always adapting to their new environment with a sense of excitement and wonder.  Anyone who met them formed the most amazing love of them almost instantly, even those not so keen on dogs would begin to admire their fabulous characters.

Skully – a slender lady, with an extremely high IQ level coupled with lots of common sense. She could out play anyone at “ball” and was often found challenging anyone who would dare take her on.  I once sat on the living room floor face to face with her for 4 hours 35 minutes, repeatedly rolling to ball back to her while she demonstrated a combination of nose nudging and fancy footwork to return by throws.  It was quite a spectacle to watch and even more fun to take part in. Of course, she always won!

Taz – a sensitive fella, always up for a cuddle and some good old fashioned dog food.  He was a big softie, he was always ready with his “tugger” but could be easily distracted with a tasty dog treat!  Taz was extremely fluffy and from time to time, referred to as a bear.  He would sit before you with his head slightly tilted and encourage you to have a big bear hug. Although he was much bigger in built to his sister, he would obey her every look and follow her lead at all times, he certainly knew who was alpha female!

Even now as I type this blog, remembering the kids, I look up to see a photograph of them at my desk of when they first met Santa.  I don’t believe in thinking about Christmas before December, but every day I think of the kids and the fabulous times they shared with me.  I really do hope that one day I can be with them again.

Rest in Peace my beautiful kids, Taz and Skully xx