About Mousie

This picture of my Mousie was taken just a week before she died. Obviously you can see why I thought she was so precious!

Mousie was born on January 10, 1992. Her Dam was "Patten's Litten Tinx" and her Sire was Glendenings Glo of Starlite." They were show dogs...Mousie was not. She was not a "box" and that is what a "show dog" is supposed to be.

She didn't start out as "Mousie." She started out her life as "Nellie" but it was quite obvious from the beginning that not only did she have no idea that her name was "Nellie" but that she didn't much like it. My late husband, Chuck, and I both agreed at the same time that her name should be "Mousie." She took to it immediately.

As cute as she was, we were her 4th home. She had been purchased and brought back to the breeders three times before Chuck and I gave her a home. She was already 11 months old by the time she came to our family. We soon found out why her other families had brought her back...she did not have good "potty habits." A sad fact that endured for her entire 15 years, 3 months and 6 days.

She became part of a family that consisted of her "daddy," Chuck, her "mommy," me and her "sister," Christy (another yorkie who was 14 months old and had been a member of the family for a year...more on her later). Except for her unacceptable "potty habits" Mousie was a sweet, loveable little yorkie and a wonderful addition to our family. Life went on and we all "bonded." We were known as "The Lemmers;" Chuck, Lee and "the girls!"

Chuck became very ill in 1993. "The girls" became his constant companions until his death in March 1995. Chuck died at home with "the girls" in his lap. When the funeral home came to take Chuck, Mousie growled and scared the guy so much that he had to ask me to "remove the dog." She weighed 4.5 lbs but thought she was a doberman!

The following year "the girls" and I moved to Lodi, CA after we accepted Bob Johnson into our family! There were a lot of problems with the move. There was another dog to deal with..."Duke," a very large golden retriever. There were Bob's two children. There were a lot of fights for the "Alpha Dog" position between Bob, Christy and Mousie! Life went on.

Three years ago Mousie was mauled by the dog behind us. He pulled her through a knot hole in the fence. It was awful. She was seriously wounded but that little 4.5 lbs of messy hair pulled through. She had a personality change though. She grew very, very fond of "mommy." I'm sure she always loved me in her little doggy fashion but after her "near death experience" I became her best buddy. I was "Mousie's Mommy" and I loved it. She followed me everywhere and had to be with me whenever I was home. She slept with me, cuddled with me and I was in heaven!

I miss her more than I would have imagined possible. She has a very special place in my heart and I am so very grateful for the time I had with her.

I will remember her most of all for her love of popcorn, her ability to stretch her 4.5 lb frame enough to take up more than half of a queen size bed, her goofy little walk and her little notched tongue. And of course I will always remember her for giving me the privilege of being "Mousie's Mommy!"