Remembering Nellie

Nellie - my big sister, compadre and general protector - passed away nearly two years ago. The staff ran across this photo of our last trip to the ocean together and it just reminded me of how short our time is (dog or human) on this giant mudball. Nellers was a great balance for me. She might as well have been the Mayor of Kirkland since she was the one who always greeted all strange dogs and people with a smile and a tail wag - paving the way for me to say hello without having to hide behind my snarling fear. Now that she's gone, the staff has had to adjust to our encounters with other dogs and their staff. Instead of a 'sure you're dog can say hi - she's really friendly', they now have to come up with some lame-o excuse for me. The exchange typically goes something like this...

Fellow dog walker: 'Can we say hello? Is he friendly?' (they always think I'm a male; hopefully the neon pink collar the staff just purchased for me will help)
My staff: 'Sorry, she's a bit crabby today' or 'She's very protective on leash, sorry.'

I think the staff is getting tired of making excuses. Just the other day, I heard one of them respond to fellow dog walker with a simple 'No'.