Mr. Frodo

On August 29th, Mr. Frodo lost his battle with a tick borne infection and passed away early in the morning.

Obscot Mystic Ringbearer: Mr. Frodo

Frodo was born in this very house nine years ago.  He was the second puppy that Fiona delivered.  As soon as Chris held Frodo in his hand watching him take his first breath, he knew he wanted to keep Frodo.  At that time we named all of Fiona's boys from characters in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings which is our favorite movies.  Frodo kept that name from second one.  We occasionally called him Fro or FroFro, or Mr. Frodo as terms of endearment.  He was the most loving Scottie boy.  When he was a puppy, he was a little terror making sure we had not one fringe left on any rug.  And once he even ate a hole in a wool rug in the middle of the bedroom when I gave up trying to chase him from under the bed and left him out when I was sleeping.  He was best friends with his litter mate, Andy, and when 15 weeks old and in obedience training, they boys would actually gang up on other poor dogs twice their size for a rollicking good time.  And both were given time out!

Frodo with with his three siblings.  Irene reminded me that both Andy and Frodo had milk beards when they were born

Frodo at 1 year old

Frodo loved his backyard, and always protected us from bunnies.  Unfortunately, those rabbits would live in the evergreen trees on our back lot which was an irritation to Frodo.  He chewed out a big hole in the wooden fence once just so he could stick his head through to bark them away.  He loved Arwen when we brought her home, and would play catch me with her all the time.  When we got laminate floors, he thought it such a fun game to race around the coffee table with his big red stuff dog in his mouth which was almost as large as him.  And Frodo loved women.  There are not a woman that dog didn't fall in love with.  His favorite was hair.  My sister Cheryl had long hair and Frodo would just rub all in her hair sniffing it with pure pleasure.

Frodo searching for those rabbitts

And a squirrel was never out of his sight

Frodo also loved walking the neighborhood.  He would dance with joy when he's hear us take the leashes off the hook.  He would prance and pull, and if one of the girls got even one inch ahead of him while walking, he'd pull until he was first.  He always wanted to be the lead dog.

 Frodo looked so cute in his yellow Lands End coat

He rolled in mulch so I usually cut his skirt off.  He liked the nekkid look

He was a brindle coated Scottie.  His coloring was so unique with the reds and blonde of Fiona mixed with the black of his father Anthony (a Wildwind Scottie).  I would let him grow out and so when he was groomed we'd always admire his brindle coat.  He had a swatch of brown next to his right eye which gave him a very distinguished look.  And when he was young, he had a Bardene white ring around his tale.  He began to get more gray in his beard this year, but that never stopped this high energy dog.  He wasn't afraid of anything!

And he always found the best napping places

A pillow and a chair were always the favorite places

The day my Grandma died, he began to limp.  My Vet thought he'd just pulled a muscle as he always ran with his heart out front.  Then last Sunday, he became lethargic and stopped eating. Last Tuesday, we took him back and my Vet was very puzzled with the symptoms.  She then put it together that he had probably been bit by a tick that had Ehrlichiosis.  And indeed he had as the tick lab test came back positive.  Frodo had a low white count from birth, so his immune system did not have the strength to fight off the infection.  After two more visits to the Vet and adding steroids to his medication, he was doing a little better Tuesday night.  Chris took him for a walk out in the field behind our house.  Frodo was too weak to walk down to the bridge where he loved looking at all the frogs and birds.  I got home and spoon fed him half a can of Pedigree.  He fell asleep in his crate.  The next morning, I found him gone.  The girls were in the chair watching as I sat and cried for my boy.  Both Chris and I were just beyond as even though we knew he was seriously ill, we so thought he'd make it. But alas, FalaPink and SkyeBlue must have decided they wanted him to join them in a rollicking game of chase on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Frodo's couch.  He had to have it in the center of the room.

Frodo's empty couch

Today I have a beautiful wooden box with Frodo's ashes.  Pet Cremations picked him up yesterday here at home, and then today brought him back.  I have been so blessed to have so many people write to me personally and on Facebook.  So many of us have had to be in this place.  It is a contract we make to that sweet adorable puppy face licking our cheeks.  We love them throughout life, and we care for them when they are sick and elderly.

Mr. Frodo will always be with us

We miss our boy.  The box with is ashes are on the fireplace mantel over top his couch that he loved to dearly.  Good bye our boy...we miss you so much.