A Dog Named Sioux - Part 2

By Angela Baden

About a year and a half ago, my daughter had to be hospitalized for several months. Sioux was a wreck. She had anxiety attacks. However, she had many people go for walks with her, keep her on weekends, and stay with her during the week. Everybody loves my daughter and assured her Sioux would be safe and secure.

Her brothers, friends and neighbors took turns making sure Sioux was not alone and was taken care of. She was walked in the morning and again in the evening. Someone would feed her daily. She would, at times, spend the weekend with friends and other times, a friend and her lab, would stay with her.

When my daughter had to change hospitals for intense physical rehabilitation for several weeks, we found a facility that allowed dogs to visit. Sioux was in heaven. So was my daughter. Sioux enjoyed her visits and behaved well. Her love kept her going through an incredibly difficult ordeal.

When her owner finally came home in a wheelchair, Sioux was constantly at her side, sleeping in the bed with her, accompanying her to the bathroom to make sure she was not going out the other side and leaving her again. She followed her everywhere and even stopped playing her usual tricks on her as if knowing her disability. She was an amazing source of comfort!

Sioux has her own distinct personality. For example, when mealtime arrives, if her food is not ready, she goes into drama mode. She puts her head on my daughter and gives her a pitiful gaze. If that does not work, she falls on the floor and sighs. She gives this expression of utter despair as if she has not been fed for months. So funny!.

Before her meal, she is sent outside to relieve herself. Then after my daughter fills her bowl, she bounds inside and eats her food in what must be all of 20 seconds. Then she drinks some water and goes to my daughter to see if any food is left. Seeing there is no food in the office, she goes back to her bowl to check if food has magically appeared. Once satisfied, she lies down on the floor and rolls on her back, legs in the air. She does this after every meal.

She still plays like a puppy. She is friendly with everyone. She is the perfect companion for my daughter showing her incredible compassion during a difficult time of recovery. In return, she is a well loved and valued friend. Now that my daughter is almost completely recovered, which is remarkable, Sioux is back to playing some of her old tricks. She makes sure, however, she always knows where my daughter is.

Sioux is quite the actress. If my daughter and I go shopping, she appears at the window when we return. You can hear her greeting us and if we take too long getting into the house, she howls like she is lost and forlorn. Now, when my daughter comes back from work, Sioux is so happy, she hardly lets her get inside.

When I visit, I see that Sioux knows all the dogs, children and residents of the neighborhood. They all love her and she loves them. She adds so much to the lives of all of us who know her. Now that she has my daughter home, she is totally content with her life. All is right with her world.

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