Oreos Are Sweet Until They Bite

From birth to death, children come first.

When we think of a Cocker Spaniel, many of us are unaware we usually refer to the American kind. But did you also know there is an English Cocker Spaniel? This stunning breed flaunts a longer snout and a taller stature than its American cousin. As soon as I saw the English Cocker Spaniel at a dog show, I was smitten. So, it comes as no surprise that when I moved out and purchased my first puppy, this was the breed I chose.

I found the breeder in The Dogs Annual. They were a two-hour drive from home, but the distance was well worth it to find my perfect companion. When the litter was born, I was invited to come when the puppies were four weeks old to choose “the one.” I was lucky to be first in line and get the pick of the litter. I wasn’t looking for a show dog, so I picked a puppy that fell into the pet category, and her price reflected it. The breeder told me you couldn’t tell show or pet quality at this young age, so she took a chance.

There are many ways to choose a puppy. Some say to let the puppy pick you, while others recommend letting the breeder choose based on its temperament, but I was bull-headed at the time. Most of the puppies were white, with very few black markings. I wanted a puppy with eye-catching appeal. I chose for looks. And in this choice, I made my first mistake.

I chose Oreo for her beauty — not for her disposition. At four weeks, none of the puppies came to me or showed any interest. As I sat on the floor watching, they went about their business. I should have known Oreo wasn’t the smartest of the lot because she kept bumping her head into the cupboards. I found this endearing at the time, but her lack of intelligence became pronounced in later years. At least, she was a real sweetie.

It was hard to leave her that day, but the breeder said she kept her puppies until they were eight weeks old, and then I could pick her up. We made plans to meet at a local dog show, a mere hour away, to save me the lengthy drive back to their kennel. Before I came to get her and after the puppies had received a temperament test, the breeder called to suggest I take a different puppy as Oreo presented as stubborn. I told her I wanted to stick with the puppy I chose — I figured, shouldn’t beauty account for something?

The day I picked her up was glorious. My boyfriend brought me, and after retrieving her, we headed straight to the pet store to purchase a dog tag, get her picture professionally taken, and choose a favourite toy. Everything was going according to plan. She was to be my forever dog and lifelong friend. But things don’t always turn out as planned.

Oreo and I lived together in my basement apartment with our cat, Fenton. During our first weeks together, there were many outings into the backyard to toilet train her and teach her the potty-training ropes. After that, it wasn’t strange to be woken at all hours until she settled into a routine.

One night, I was awoken by heart-wrenching shrieking. All I could imagine was that a dresser had fallen on her, and I jumped out of bed with a start. But, instead, as I flicked on the lights, I found her lying peacefully. With her head resting on the carpet, she didn’t pick her head up but watched me with inquisitive eyes. This was not a puppy in distress, I noticed.

I shook my head in bewilderment and gathered my thoughts. I checked the clock. It was 4:00 a.m. I took her outside to use the grass, and then we both fell back asleep.

The phone woke me. As my head swirled from lack of sleep, my boyfriend broke the news. My grandfather had passed away during the night — my uncle had called there first. A sudden pit in my stomach formed, and I knew.

“What time did he die?” I asked, but my boyfriend didn’t know. So when later inquiries revealed he had died at 4:00 a.m., it sent a shiver down my spine.

Did my grandfather come to my room to say goodbye? Had Oreo sensed his presence, causing her to let out that squeal?

These are questions that have never been answered, even after forty years. I’m leaning toward believing I dreamt Oreo’s squeals, but unfortunately, it’s something I’ll never know.

As time went on, our relationship blossomed. Oreo was a real stunner, and the breeder told me when I picked her up that she qualified as show quality. In addition, living alone gave Oreo and me many opportunities to spend time together and engage in activities that further bonded us.

In her first year, I went to sanction matches in preparation to show her. There was another puppy her age that kept beating us, but it gave us both experience. When I found a handler and professional groomer, our dog show days began.

But then disappointment struck. After entering my first professional dog show, the handler got busy and pulled out of the job. At a loss of what to do, I took a dog handler course and tried to show her myself. This was a hard position to be in because I’d heard dog show judges prefer experienced handlers they already know. But, hard as I tried to show her, the same puppy kept beating us. Was it the puppy itself, or did its handler play any part?

One day, after receiving the program, I saw this puppy wasn’t entered on a particular day, and I learned from the owner that she didn’t like the judge. Apparently, the look of the dog the judge preferred was not our dogs’ appearance — he liked a shorter stature and smaller head — at least that’s what I heard.

I thought here was my chance. Without this puppy being entered, I enrolled Oreo. It’s an experience I laugh about to this day. She was the only puppy in the ring. She was the only puppy entered in the puppy category, so I thought we had it made. But then, I learned, there was still a standard. Oreo was not only competing against herself, but she was also competing against what show quality English Cocker Spaniel’s must present.

We passed with flying colours, and Oreo won her first blue ribbon and received points toward her championship. I was overjoyed and proud of my newfound dog handling abilities.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived because she didn't place when we proceeded to the “Best in Group” — competing against all entries in the other English Cocker Spaniel categories. The other breeder was right. The judge’s selections weren’t mine. What he considered best breed qualities were far from what I considered even appealing.

Was I becoming a dog show snob? Maybe.

After a couple more unsuccessful showings and having a new baby, I spayed Oreo. She became our beloved pet solely. I will always have that prized blue ribbon as a cherished memory of the day Oreo and I ran the ring together, showing an audience the best our team could do.

Oreo spent many years alone as my dog. She loved and bonded with me. There was room in her heart for my husband and my daughter, but first and foremost, she held me in high esteem. From time to time, I noticed bouts of jealousy, but nothing a correction couldn’t fix. But, for the first years, all was going right.

Then, one day, when my daughter was a toddler, I was lying on the couch and tossing a ball. Madelaine ran for it, as did Oreo. Oreo caught it and brought it back to me, and I threw it again. Maddie was laughing, Oreo’s tail was wagging, and then suddenly, when my daughter picked up the ball, Oreo lunged at her and bit her under her eye.

This aggression scared me as much as it did my daughter. After that, I knew I couldn’t own a dog who couldn’t be trusted or who could do my child great harm.

I called the vet, and he was very understanding. He believed a home for Oreo without children would be a better fit. He found us an interested candidate, then arranged the transfer, and Oreo received a new home.

Sad as it was to see her go, I knew our life together would never have been the same. I could no longer trust her, and every action — aggressive or not — would have been anxiously scrutinized.

I knew it wasn’t Oreo’s fault. She’s a dog, and she was jealous of Madelaine. But I couldn’t have that. As a mom, the protection of my daughter was one of my biggest jobs. Oreo’s love for me would have needed to be further shared with more kids in our future.

I checked with the vet and heard Oreo was thriving in her new home. I was happy to hear it.

In closing, if you decide to get a dog and start a family, it’s hard to decide which should come first — the dog or the children. I’m not even sure there’s a one size fits all answer. Not all dogs are the same.

I wrote this story to bring this dilemma to mind and not to take the decision lightly. Some may have been willing to work on the relationship to bring the jealousy in check, but I was not one of them. The moment Oreo became a danger, there was no question. She had to go.

Please never leave your pets and children together alone when they are young. It’s not fair to either of them. And, if anything tragic happens, you’ll never forgive yourself.

Thankfully, Maddie doesn’t remember the attack and loves dogs to this day. I hope Oreo lived a long, happy life with beautiful memories. She deserved that and so much more.