Cocker Spaniel

The first time I saw Sandy I thought he had been crying. There were trails of tears coming from his eyes and they looked so woeful. I found out later that common for this breed is the problem of cataracts. But with good eye care he exhibited no lasting or permanent eye damage. His sweet 'puppy-dog eyes' along with his desire for affection made him so lovable.

Sandy was not mine. He was my grandmother's, Nanny. He was about as true a friend and playmate as a grandchild could find. He wasn't in for a lot of hard running but would run and play in short spurts and would follow us kids around just about everywhere. I came to associate Sandy with visiting Nanny. He was just always there and yet he sensed that we were really there to visit her and would quietly wait in the background until it was time for us to turn our attention toward him. He made it known by his body language that he was so happy we came to visit.

What a wonderful dog to know as a child. I guess because Sandy was Nanny's my memories of her will almost always include him. I have numerous fixed images in my mind of Sandy taking his place right along side of us for his picture to be taken and now he has become a permanent family member in the photo albums of past years. When I'm thinking of Nanny and missing her I find myself missing Sandy, too. To visit one was to visit the other and to love one was to love the other.