Up: [[Savour]] Related: [[Dog]] , [[Death]] Created: 2025-11-16 My Sproodle (springer spaniel/poodle cross) Toffee is probably eleven or twelve years old. I don’t know for sure. She was a rescue pup and when I got her eight years ago, different vets gave different guesses as to her age. Either way, she’s now considered a senior dog and, although she’s in good shape, I know her remaining time is likely no more than a handful of years. I decided to make a list of all of the things I will miss about Toffee when she is gone. It’s numbered but not in any kind of priority order. 1. Hearing her little paws galloping from the bedroom to the laundry room or laundry room to living room to stash her cookie or reclaim it. 2. Feeling her head on my knee or at the edge of my chair 3. Seeing those soulful brown eyes gaze at me like she understands every word I say and thinks I’ve hung the moon 4. That adorable tilted puppy head when she’s not quite sure what I’m talking about! 5. Knowing that she’s lying where she can see the back door, waiting for me to come home 6. Seeing her leaping with excitement, all four feet in the air like Tigger, when I arrive home after an extended time away 7. Spooning with her on my bed for an afternoon nap 8. Having her throw herself at me, hurtling on to my bed some early mornings and then tucking up beside me and going to sleep 9. Hearing her peaceful snore 10. Melting at her total trust and vulnerability as she lies on her back, her legs splayed, wanting her groin rubbed 11. Seeing her wrestling with her soft toys 12. Having her waiting for me to rub her and kiss her goodnight 13. Dropping a toy in front of me, wanting me to play 14. Putting her head on a toy as if it were a pillow, and going to sleep 15. Running to her safe place when there’s something she doesn’t want to do, like wear boots in the winter 16. Winning the boots in the winter argument, then stopping stock still on the sidewalk, her left front paw held up for me to massage it back to warmth 17. Feeling her in my arms, in a towel, after a bath 18. Extending her paws one at a time for me to dry her feet or rub in cream and, when it’s cream, licking my hand in thanks 19. Running to meet Heather when we meet for an afternoon walk 20. Staring down the squirrels, keeping them up the tree 21. Going back to the reading nook rug if we’re making tea and she thought it was her turn to be fed, but it isn’t quite yet 22. Groaning when she thinks it’s time for her banana and I haven’t yet got it for her 23. Preferring to share a banana rather than have one of her own. If I eat even a couple of pieces, she loves that 24. When she gets human leftovers, watching the plate as it travels from dining room to her dish, escorting it with the “eyes on” concentration of a president’s Secret Service detail 25. Putting her front feet up on the side of the tub when I have a bath, even though the ceramic must be uncomfortable and slippery on her paws 26. Understanding that she is allowed four hickory sticks out of every new bowl, and not bothering me for more 27. The fact that she loves hickory sticks as I do, even though they have a barbecue spice on them that she shouldn’t love 28. Alerting to every car pulling up and car door closing when we’re out for a walk because she’s convinced it’s her friend Lyn who has treats in his car for when he sees us walking 29. Lying patiently on the floor by the kitchen, appreciating every bit of vegetable I hand her 30. Taking broccoli florets into the living room rug to drop and eat because they are easier to pick up from the rug than from the floor 31. Eating her food then getting her mouth wet with water so she can return to the food dish for the taste 32. Our very, very early morning walks by the river 33. Crunching with her mouth open like a little kid I’d always had very large dogs in the past — four St. Bernards, a German Shepherd, a border collie mix…. Toffee is 32 pounds of intelligence, loyalty and fun. When she’s gone, I won’t get another dog. Just back from the groomer’s, hence the bandana. ![[Toffee.webp|500]] The more typical Toffee, a bit scruffy and with a couple of extra pounds of winter weight. ![[Toffee in studio.webp]] Speaking of winter, it’s important to approach snow people with extreme caution. ![[Toffee and the snowman (photo).webp|600]]