Tsuki and what he’s brought
Tsuki is a family member’s dog and he’s been staying with us for a little over a month. Apart from early childhood when we had a Labrador, and occasional visits from friends’ dogs, I’ve only ever shared my home with miniature schnauzers. Tsuki is an Italian greyhound and it’s an interesting experience having him with us. First up, he barks more than the schnauzers. I say this with not a small amount of satisfaction, as schnauzers get a bad rap from some quarters for their noisy ways. Tsuki is noisier.
He is also skinnier and silky smooth, practically hairless on his underside and legs, which means he has a practical need to wear jumpers and jumpsuits. But we’ve put the jumpsuits aside as he wriggles his pin-thin legs out of them, rendering them useless and looking ridiculous. He wriggles a lot. He’s all wiggling, flapping arms and legs. Very different to my solid schnauzers. He’s not missing the jumpsuits as he’s enjoying the warm comforts of Angel’s – which were once Twinkle’s – woolly jumpers. In Schnauzerfest team colours. Of course.


Tsuki is incredibly tactile, boldly asking – demanding – cuddles and attention. He snuggles under cushions, beneath bed covers and quilts, snuffles inside our clothes, his long nose poking into armpits and staying put for five minute power naps. Renae was a tactile dog who enjoyed a cuddle but Tsuki is velcro, leaving no doubt that physical contact is as important as food and air in his life.
Albert Claude, Cerise and Angel have easily accomodated this energetic, attention seeking, affection giving, hug loving and cuddle taking dog. They haven’t seemed to mind his strange and lively ways. Occasionally in the early days Tsuki baffled Albert. Us too, along with regular moments of bemusement. He’s an entertaining little guy to have around.
There were early, transient grumbles between Albert and Tsuki, usually involving food. During the month, Tsuki has learnt to share. As a solo dog, learning this has never really come up. Now it has and at meal times he’s now a model guest. He’s learnt to respect Albert’s space when chewies are being enjoyed and the one Albert has is the one he wants. Of course it is. With supervision and attention this has all been sorted between them, requiring only minimal human intervention to keep the peace.
This morning a Facebook memory of Renae popped up. Over the past month she has frequently sprung to mind. With his fun-loving, wiggling-wild ways I’ve wondered how would she handle the changing household dymanics? I have no doubt she would have been guiding, organising and ensuring Tsuki fitted in perfectly. With all the dogs she shared her life with, Renae was an expert guide and wonderful friend.

As a supremely confident dog, Renae understood her role in life was to share this with others and she did. The very first walk we took with Susie-Belle she was still in foster and came out for the day. It gave an incredible early insight into the new family life which was to come for us. Renae, at only seven months old, demonstrated thoughtful care towards her nervous, timid sister-to-be throughout the walk. It was a busy, schnauzer social with lots of others around. Renae moved easily among them all, backwards and forwards and always coming back to Susie-Belle and us. It was easy to think she was checking that everything was good. And I believe that she was, as during the eleven years we shared, she showed this side on many occasions.
Tsuki would have been welcomed into our home by Renae, this I know. It’s been over two years since she died and I’ve found it impossible to imagine another dog in our family without her. I honestly wondered if I could adopt again. And have not liked this doubt and have wrestled hard with myself over it. But, my faith in the belief that dogs come into our lives at the right time, and for reasons we will never fully understand, has been reinforced this past month. As, with Tsuki in our home, even while at the moment, it’s a visit, my mind has cleared. Renae will always be the first dog who helped me adopt; and though she is no longer present to guide me and them, when new dogs come along, it will be as if she still were. We’ll work it out together.