Happy Birthday to Our Schnoodle

On 31 March of last year I received phone call from Shari while Steve was on his way down to train with K9’s For Warriors.
“I know who we are going to place with Steve,” Shari all but hummed in a very zen tone.
“Oh? A Lab? That German Shepherd that we kept seeing photos of?” I replied. I know he was hoping for a shepherd or a bigger lab, something with some “heft” to it.
“Our Schnoodle. Charlie,” Shari answered.

My mind came to a screeching halt, and I suddenly had visions of Steve in the High Alps drinking schnapps out of a clear glass and a plate of strudel with a dog in the chair next to him. “What in the hell is a Schnoodle?”

“He’s a half giant schnauzer half standard poodle. He’s cream colored and right now he a little rough looking because we had to shave him all the way down, but I am certain this is the guy Steve needs.”

No truer words have ever been said. 2 years ago today, Charlie came into this world. He did not know he was going to have a purpose or even be a working dog. I have a sneaking suspicion, that he was probably one of the movers and shakers in the litter knowing his personality.

His first years were not easy, nor did he cave in and just give up. Had it not been for the right time and the right people, Charlie and Steve would have never have found each other, and I can not even imagine our world without him. We have our various nicknames for him: SchnoodleDoodle, Charlie Brown, SchnoodleFish, Muttonchops, and when my brain comes to a screeching halt, Hey You. He always, ALWAYS has a smile, a butt wiggle, and the softest eyes. When he sees Steve your heart melts, and now when Steve sees him, you automatically sigh and take a deep breath. You feel the rightness with their connection.

Charlie is intelligent, inquisitive and a force of nature pushing Steve to have to get back into life again because “This Dog ain’t gonna just sit around.” He’s won the hearts of a university President, Dean, Facility and Staff. When Steve graduates this May, a large part of it will be because Charlie physically hauled his butt to and from classes even when he didn’t want to go or was too upset to go. Charlie had his people to go check in with, and therefore Steve has to go to and there was nothing he was ever going to let happen to his Papa, he has his back. When Steve gets his diploma, I’m hoping I can work something out and give one to Charlie too; he’s earned it.

Happy Birthday to our Schnoodle dog, Charlie. You are the softest, kindest, most bull-headed and stubborn animal I’ve ever met. Your job here has been a tough one, but you’ve settled in nicely and you are so very dear to our hearts. Thank you for your butt-wiggles when we need to laugh. Thank you for being a tuba and annoying the crap out of us with your “I’m bored lets go do something.” Thank you for being a part of our lives. Thank you for giving me Papa back. Now, scrabbled eggs and bacon with a pumpkin/peanut butter/yogurt cookie for birthday breakfast today?