The Ruffles Report

This was a good haircut. Pretty sure it was professional and not my two-legs butcher job.

Greetings all. I meant to post this earlier but it has been really hard to pull it together, eventually I just got down what I could, and hopefully more will come. Ruffles will no longer be posting. He had been recovering fine since his last post and we thought he was going to make a full recovery. Then suddenly last Thursday night (August 27, 2010) he began having trouble breathing and was unable to move coherently. We rushed him to the emergency vet but unfortunately he passed away in Andi’s arms a few blocks from the hospital. He died quickly and calmly and as he went he had Andi and I telling him what a good dog he was. He will be deeply missed.

Me and big-little-bro. Chillin'

Ruffles’ Journey

My dad and Max got Ruffles while I was in college back in 2002 (or so, dates are foggy). He was just a pup at that point. Freshly weened of his mother, ears and tail cropped, and could fit in your hands. I didn’t get to meet him for a few months until my next visit up to see them. Ruffles greeted me by parading around with a toy in his mouth and then proceeding to hump my leg. I think he liked me.

Big yawns. I think the skirted one took this picture during morning light in Seattle. I was not really awake yet.

As I finished up school and was getting ready to finally move out of a place that didn’t accept pets (the land lady was a cat person and freaked when I brought Ruffles down for a weekend), I started to think that maybe I would benefit from having a little furry companion for my new adventure. I moved up to Seattle and was there for a few months when I asked to take Ruffles off my dad and Max’s hands (by now they had a little brood of 4 schnauzers, so what’s one?) They agreed and Ruffles was officially mine. He was a fat, lazy little grump when I got him. Years of living a cushy life, eating whatever and whenever, barking at birds and people alike, and generally being king of the castle. There was a new king in town now.

How can you resist a face like this... you can't!

We went on a pretty strict schedule of walks, feeding at regular times, and going to the dog park to attempt to socialize him. It was going well, but it was a slow process. He still really wouldn’t play with the other dogs and instead saw himself as the enforcer, making sure other dogs weren’t fighting or having any fun. He got in a great deal of trouble doing that. He wouldn’t sit, or stay, or really do anything you told him. Most days he lounged in a big comfy chair in my studio apartment, waiting for me to come home (I know this thanks to the power of the webcam I installed to watch him) where he would then run over to the door when he heard the jangling of my keys. That was so great to come home to.

Not sure what I just got in too... but I am sure it was delicious

Then we met two individuals who changed both our lives. She, a beautiful, outgoing bartender and he, a crazy, energetic pup with ears four sizes too big for his head. We saw them around the building, going for walks at odd hours. (bartenders keep odd hours, especially ones who are insomniacs). Love blossomed, and not just between Andi and I. Ruffles and Luke became the best of buds. Luke taught Ruff how to play tug of war with toys (Luke usually won) and Ruffles taught Luke how to nap quietly and not disturb their masters (sort of). Andi even managed to Ruff to learn to to sit, stay, and eventually lie down (she had just put Luke through obedience school so it was all fresh to her). I got Ruffles to dance around on his hind legs for a treat (wish I had video of that…)

Again, more playing with the flash. I look very ominous.

We moved into a new apartment in Seattle and us 4 became inseparable. Life was good. Walks, dog parks, other 4-legged friends (Hi Dublin! Hi Lucy!). And this was the time Ruffles did most of his posting to therufflesreport.com.
There are some massive dog parks up there in the Seattle area, we went mostly for Luke, who loved to run and swim. Ruffles really liked the smells. He did not like it when we threw him in the water. It was hilarious to watch him frantically doggy paddle back to the shore. He was so upset we did that to him… but a few minutes to dry off and he was back running through the woods looking for new odors.

Look at my luxurious beard and my regal pose. I am a rockstar.

I would recommend going back through the old posts if you want to read more about Ruffles’ life in Seattle, it’s only like 30 posts so it makes for a good read when you should be doing real work. Anyway, Andi eventually got tired of the city she was in and we all decided to move on down to Santa Monica, CA. Ruffles started in CA and he would ultimately finish in CA. I also like to think that Santa Monica was the best place for him to live (other than the drug villa he grew up in for the first few years), mostly because it had a dog door and dog run so they were no longer limited by our schedules and they were free to pee and poop with impunity. On a more pleasant note it also meant bike riding. Ruffles liked it as he didn’t have to work and just got to come along for the ride.

Sittin' pretty in Andi's cruiser's basket. Oh yeah!

Ruffles was like me when it came to the beach here. Pretty to look at but the sand gets everywhere. (that and the whole ban on dogs at the beach meant no puppy beach time) The weather definitely suited him better. None of that Seattle drizzle and damp, just unadulterated sunshine. He also got to spend more time at the most awesome place in the world. Andi’s parent’s house in Phoenix. Here they got fed extra food (good stuff too, wet dog food that was often heated up) and there was a giant water bowl (pool) that they could drink from and dip their feet in. And what could be better than sitting in the 110° heat on baking flagstaff… apparently nothing as that is what they loved to do. Ruffles would always start whining in anticipation whenever we drove up to their place. His last weekend was spent there, which makes me happy.

My 2-legs was playing with his new flash. Ooo, shadows.

There are of course so many more things I would love to have done with my little guy. And so much more that I would like to write about him. Family and friends have been sending me condolences, stories, and pictures of him. I plan to post those here.

A pretty standard shot. This was back in Seattle

Thanks to all of Ruffles’ friends and family for the love and support over the years. Ruffles was a good dog.