Brenna (a Rottweiler) was born on a record cold January night outside in the family doghouse. When the father went to check on Jasmine (Brennas’ Mom), he found her body outside the doghouse, cold and frozen to the ground. He picked her lifeless body to dispose of it when she let out a little whimper. Quickly he ran inside where he and his wife revived her. I’ll never know if this cryogenic treatment changed her, but she certainly was the most laid back, kind, loving dog I’d ever had the pleasure of knowing (my sister-in-law insisted she was a Saint). Brenna was part of an accidental litter, the runt and only puppy left when I met her. Soon to be taken to the shelter as a reject, I bought her for $20. She still needed to have her tail docked, but she was perfect in my eyes.
My Doberman, Jason, was still living at the time and quite elderly, but he accepted Brenna in spite of her cantankerous behavior. She had a knack for getting into trouble during those early days and was quite full of herself. Since Jason had taught me so much about my lack of experience with dog training, I searched for, and found, a dog training club as soon as I could. They now had “puppy classes”, and that’s where it all began with Brenna.
Brenna was a star pupil and I had a great time working with her and learning obedience. I was hooked almost immediately. I joined the club and Brenna and I trained together and practiced religiously every week. Soon we were helping to teach beginner classes, then we taught our own beginner classes, Brenna was my faithful assistant and delighted in it. She earned one of the first Canine Good Citizenship certificates given in our area.
Around this same time, I had briefly boarded Brenna at a local kennel and upon returning to pick her up, the owner pointed out to me her many “HABIT” certificates hanging prominently in the office. I had never heard of such a thing. “HABIT” (Human-Animal Bond In Tennessee) was a pet therapy organization in the area that brought qualified animals to health care facilities and their patients. I was impressed that there were owners and dogs that did this sort of thing. “Brenna would be perfect for this.” She said, and insisted that I give it serious thought. She was pointing this out to me because she deeply felt that Brenna was a perfect candidate. She knew because she was on the board of directors! It took about six months, between infrequent "new volunteer" meetings, and my brothers auto accident which required my time and attention. But, we finally without became official HABIT volunteers. This is where Brenna really shined.
Our first assignment was at the local Children’s Hospital in their psychiatric unit. Here they had children ranging in age from about 3 to 13 years who were inpatients for various psychiatric problems. There were four therapy dogs and handlers that visited the unit together, each having a specific space and a special niche for various patients. Brenna was given the hyperactive or "difficult" children because her of her gift to lie on the floor quietly and cuddle with the patient in a very calm and quiet manner. No one taught her this, it was her own. Her quiet demeanor helped the child feel a sense of calm, safety and wanting to interact on a calm and quiet level. She was especially gifted at making friends with children who were afraid of dogs. Despite her size and color, she could sense the hesitency or fear in someone and would immediatly lie down and plead with them to pet her. The more frightened they were, the quieter she was. I would bring a brush and treats to aid in “the Brenna experience”. She never showed fear or excitement, she was calm and quiet. The kids loved her for it.
As with each dog that visited the unit, Brenna was key in the successful recovery of certain individuals. It was not uncommon for us to make a special trip to the unit to say goodbye to a patient, fulfilling their final wish before going back home. What an honor it was! Our time at the Childrens' hospital was the most rewarding, though we enjoyed every assignment we had over the years.
Working with Brenna as a therapy volunteer was without a doubt the fondest dog associated experience I ever had. It was also the most bonding experience I ever had with Brenna (though there were many!). She loved it, she knew and recognized her HABIT scarf when I would take it down from the coat rack and she would get very excited! She knew the hospitals and knew just what to do. I think I was more a chauffeur for the four-footed saint than anything else.
During Brennas’ HABIT years I also showed her in AKC obedience trials. In three out of five shows, she met the requirements for and earned her Companion Degree (“CD”) after which I retired her from the obedience ring. It was very apparent to me that it was simply “not her cup of tea” and so we left the sport. She has found her true calling of therapy work. We continued to teach obedience classes with great joy but even that came to an eventual end as our years together progressed.
When Brenna was 5, I found a young lady who had gotten into the new craze of agility and had relocated quite near to me. Since Brenna was no longer in the obedience scene and I had a young pup in need of such activity, this seemed like a fun thing to try. My Border Collie pup found a great activity in agility, but for Brenna this was beginning of a new chapter in our relationship. Despite her physique, she didn’t seem able to do the jumping obsticals no matter what. Finally our instructor suggested that I have her tested for hip dysplasia. Heather, our vet, did some manipulations with Brenna’s legs and hips and felt pretty sure that we were looking at dysplasia. She offered to take x-rays to confirm this, but I declined. With a very heavy heart, I knew and trusted her judgement to be right. “My girl” was beginning to grow old and it was already killing me.
I retired Brenna from obedience and agility immediatly and instead began a swimming program for her to help exercise her hips without pressure on the joints. For as long as she was able to negotiate the rocks down to the waters edge in our back yard, she swam nearly every day from March through November while the lake was at full pool. Her life now consisted of pet therapy, matriarch of the canine family and big sister to my two children. She assisted in both of my children learning to take their first steps, was a constant babysitter during their infant years and always managed to climb into the bottom bunk with whichever child that slept there. She mothered any infant from orphan kittens to opossoms or whatever needing creature she could find.
Brenna continued her pet assisted therapy faithfully every week at one facility or another until the early winter of 2001. Just after Thanksgiving her hips failed suddenly and catastrophically, she was nearing 12 years old. I was able to double the maximum dose of medication with success (and a lot of prayer!). Her time was coming, but I just needed a little more time to prepare, a little more time to say goodbye. I wasn't ready!
I retired her from her HABIT to spend what time she had left with us. Less than two weeks later, she died. On her last day she was completely immobile, I spent the entire day with her. I sat on the floor reading & telling stories to my children with Brenna laying at my side, her head draped across my lap. I wanted to keep her warmth and her spirit with me for always. We took her to the vets office at the close of the day.
I felt for some time afterwards that I had committed murder to my beloved sister-in-fur. Consciously I knew I had done the right thing for Brenna, sending her on to the rainbow bridge and ending the pain. But my heart will forever feel as though I took her life.
I still miss her deeply, my "Sister-In-Fur".
Gianna's Bittersweet Espresso, CD, CGC, HABIT, "Brenna"
B. February 15, 1990 - D. December 10, 2001