RIP: MISS SIENNA PUPPY - Dec 2005 - Dec 2018

Miss Sienna standing guard 2011/2017

In 2013 we made the hardest decision of your lives.  We had decided to move our family overseas, making Vietnam our new home.  Actually, that was not the hardest decision.  Deciding to leave our dog - Miss Sienna Puppy - behind was.  We were embarking on something very much unknown to us.  To a place where (false) stereotypes around dogs existed.  To a place, we had never been.  To a place, we were not sure how long we would be there.  At the time Sienna was about 8 years old and the thought of dragging her out of her comfort zone to someplace halfway around the world, with such uncertainty, was daunting.  

So the plan was made for Sienna to stay behind, with the idea of scooping her up the next summer should things look favorable in our new home for her.  She would stay with Brittany and Jason (Erin's Sister and Brother In Law).  At the time they lived in the vineyards of Lodi near her parents.  They had a yard and family nearby for support.  Also, Brittany would watch Sienna often when we traveled, not to mention that Brittany was the one who picked her out of the litter when Erin got her for me.  Sienna would be surrounded by love and be well off while we re-settled.  The next summer came and it was obvious - Sienna was living a much better life then we could provide her in Vietnam.  Not that we didn't have a great scenario, it just wasn't as fantastic as where she was.  We lived on the 8th floor of an apartment building, Brittany just opened the door and Sienna could run outside and play.  It was 95f degrees on average where we lived, while Lodi had a fairly temperate climate (except for the summer).  Also, putting a 9-year-old dog on 2 flights totalling 18 hours did not seem ideal.

So the final decision was made, Sienna would stay with Brittany and Jason while we lived abroad.  Yes, I could have been selfish and taken her with us.  Trust me, that thought went through my head every single day.  What seemed best for me didn't seem ideal for her.

In early 2006, Sienna came to me as a surprise from Erin after dating just about 4 months.  She was a tiny thing and ended up having parvo the first night, with us returning her to be nursed back to health.  A rough start for the little girl.

She recovered quickly and soon became attached to my hip.  As most puppies do, she had a bit of separation anxiety in the beginning whenever I left the house.  While most dogs would tear things up, chewing them into oblivion, Sienna would go into my closet and bring my shoes, one by one, out to her bed.  We'd come home to a living room full of footwear and Sienna snuggled up in the middle of them all.

While waiting for all of her shots to be taken, she was limited in scope for adventures so we used to throw her in a backpack - the same pack was used for her food and things when she traveled throughout her life - and go for hikes.  She loved it.

I was lucky enough to have a job where dogs were welcome at work (thanks LV!)  Trickily though, a large portion of my duties involved being on the road all day long.  Sienna was always right there with me.  Quietly resting her head on the back door, gazing out the window.  There were many times I forgot she was even there!  The benefit to me having her was not only companionship on the road but because of her I would stop at parks for her to run around and play, eat, etc....it got me out of the car, even if for a brief time, for a bit of fun mixed into the day.

If you have ever been to one of our showrooms back in the day, then you knew Sienna.  She would greet you running at top speed and barking wildly.  Some people were taken aback as a 50lbs pit bull was sprinting towards them, but usually, she was wagging her tail and looking for a ball for you to throw to her.  She made some really really long days a bit more fun for a lot of people who came through those doors, except for maybe Dan the UPS Man.....he came every day.  Every day he brought her a biscuit.  Every day she sat for the biscuit like a good girl, except she could not stop growling at him.  For years this went on.  I am sure Dan wasn't too bummed when we left that space.....

Because of this environment, Sienna and I were together all day, every day.  Connected at the hip.

She learned how to swim in the mighty Pacific Ocean at Fort Cronkite beach - she would lounge in my truck while I surfed and when I was done, it was her turn for fun on the beach.

She was a fantastic hiker.  Whether it be on Mt. Tam, in Golden Gate Park, or on Lands End.  Off leash was never a problem for Sienna and she hiked endlessly on these trails for years and years.

Once Graeme came around Sienna instinctively knew how to act around him.  She slept when he slept (usually right next to his crib) and was awake when he was awake.  As painstakingly hard as it was, she knew what toys were his and which ones were hers.  Graeme isn't the most comfortable kid around dogs these days, but with Sienna, he was always different.  Never an ounce of fear or worry with her, as she never gave him reason to have it.  Seth, on the other hand, is obsessed with dogs.  He LOVES them.  When we were in California this past summer he would chase Sienna around as much as she would let him at her age...unfortunately he caught her in the geriatric stages of her life.

Sienna's attachment issues faded very quickly and more times then not she would connect with and become fast friends with whoever new was hanging around.  If we traveled, friends of ours would actually become upset if they weren't the ones tasked with watching here while we were gone.

Life was not all rainbows and unicorns for her though....as mentioned earlier she started out with Parvo.  Later in life, both her knee's were replaced with titanium (a 6-month recovery for each knee and they were done back to back) by TPLO surgery.  Ganged up on by 2 dogs over a tennis ball, she lost 1/2 of an ear.  On a misguided hike (unfortunately, I was the guide) a dew-claw was torn off.  Through all of these, she never let you know she was hurt or in pain.  Tough as nails.

Dogs tend to have 3 stages of life.....Puppy - The Prime - Old Dog.  Brittany, Jason, and Greyson showered Sienna with love, attention, and adventure.  Swimming, camping....she enjoyed as active a lifestyle as she could have ever wanted with them.  They also had her in the Old Dog stages so when things got tough for Sienna they just showered her with more love and attention then you could imagine.

We cannot thank them enough for the love, support, and family that they provided for Sienna.  We know she became even more of their family as the years went by and each time we saw her we knew we made the right decision, even if it wasn't exactly what I wanted.

Although selfishly wanting and yearning to be with her at the end, it was warming and perhaps, fitting, that when Sienna passed she was in the same arms that she was in when I first met her, Brittany's. 

Miss Sienna Puppy brought so much happiness and joy to so many people.  The next time you come across a dog give them a little extra scratch behind the ear.  Throw the toy a few extra times for them.  Offer them one more treat.  All things we wish we could do with Sienna and things we know she would appreciate you doing for another dog.  Sienna you will always be in our hearts.

Much Love, 
The Hawken's in Hungary

#thetaoofgraeme #sethssojourns