Kaiah Nolan

2010 - 2018

Kaiah was pure love. She never barked, except when she'd get over-excited while playing. Even then it would surprise her and she'd stop for a second wondering where that sound came from. She loved to meet people, pulling at her leash to approach complete strangers while wagging and waiting as they approached from down the street. Then she'd happily jump up on their legs and wag, accepting their petting. If they showed her love back she would always remember and when she'd see them next she'd cry with happiness. She would hear the UPS truck and run to the door for the driver, who gave her milk bones. She would get excited as I drove into my mother's neighborhood for a visit. She even enjoyed her visits to the vet, only to meet the other dogs and accept love from other people. But she never liked getting poked at the vet. She always remembered things that hurt her before. She was afraid of clippers, scissors, nail clippers and brushes. She would jump off the couch and lie under my desk if she saw me reaching for one of them. She play keep-away if I was trying to take her upstairs for a bath. She had her habits too. I needed to learn her ways, as she never barked or scratched at the door when she needed to go out. I learned that she needed to go immediately when she woke up at about 7AM and at bedtime at 11PM, then anytime during the day when she walked up to me and just stared at me. It was either she needed to go out or she wanted to play. Then when I took her out she'd have her usual places to visit to see who was there before her that day. She was stubborn and would pull at the leash to go one way. She'd keep it taught and not look back at me, waiting for me to move toward where she wanted to go. Then she'd take every inch of the leash that I'd give her to go where she wanted. If I didn't move she wouldn't move, still facing toward where she wanted to go. But luckily she'd give up if she knew there was no chance I was going that way. She didn't fight me at all, just enough to let me know what she wanted. Unfortunately she developed a heart murmur, as is common for the breed. It got worse and worse. I put her on medication but it didn't stop it. She started coughing due to the oversized heart and eventually fluids entering the lungs. She had cardiologists reviewing her echo-cardiograms and ex-rays, who prescribed many medications, eventually to the maximum. I had to put her down when it got so bad that she was breathing deeply and quickly from her abdomen. I didn't want her to go in pain, which may happen if you wait too long. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. Sleep well, my little Kaiah.