We met Emily at a dog park in California in 2008, on the way home from a summer camp. Before we walked in, all I knew was that her name was Emily and she was blind like me. She had been living at the shelter for over a year. The staff fell in love with her and really wanted to find a home for her. A well-intentioned volunteer took her as a foster pet, but kept her in a crate to keep her from getting hurt. They didn't know how to train or take care of a blind dog. We didn't either, but we wanted to try.
Within 5 minutes of meeting Emily, I learned she was a silly ball of energy and a complete sweetheart. I was also already convinced she was coming home with us. She enjoyed sniffing my parents and giving kisses. When she got to me, she climbed--with all 4 legs--onto the bench to sit on my lap. Initially, my parents were hesitant. We already had another dog who wasn't with us on the trip, and we didn't know how he and Emily would get along. They wanted to wait until we could bring him back to meet Emily. But with my face covered in kisses and my clothes covered in hair, I announced I wasn't leaving that park without her. So she came home with us. And she stayed home with us for 14 years.
The next day, after 2 baths and a lot of brushing, Emily met Wilson. It didn't take them long to start playing together. They wrestled in the house, chased each other around the yard, and even escaped to run the neighborhood together! They were completely inseparable. We called Emily the nagging wife, because she never left Wilson alone! If he ran behind a bush or under the deck to hide from her, she stood as close as she could get, and just barked at him! She loved to boss Wilson around, and like the rest of us he let her be in charge.
She also seemed to be a good influence on his training. We didn't know how much training she had when we got her, but we soon learned how smart she really was. A week after we brought her home, we took them for a walk. Wilson, as usual, was jumping around and refusing to sit for the leash. We kept telling him to sit. When my mom looked back to check on Emily, she was sitting! We hadn't even been talking to her, but she was still listening.
When we lost Wilson, Em was heartbroken. She paced around the house for a while, and she became very clingy. Luckily for us, the increased clinginess became permanent.
In May 2014, we added Shaggy to our family. Emily loved him too. Although he isn't the most affectionate, he always made time to wrestle with Emily and take naps together on the dog beds. She also joined him on patrols around the yard, barking at anything they decided didn't belong on the property. Naturally, this happened only after Emily made very clear to him who the boss was!
Emily loved people. Until her health started to decline, she was a kind of ambassador for our side business. My dad loved bringing her to meet customers who came to pick up orders, and she was a favorite with the kids in our neighborhood.
When we added 1 more dog to our household in 2019, Emily was starting to show signs of slowing down. Still, she welcomed Ellie Mae with a wrestling session and some loud barks. At that point, she transitioned into retirement mode. She let Ellie take over the task of greeting customers, preferring to stay inside and get extra hugs and treats or just take a nap. She stopped patrolling the yard, handing that job to Ellie. Without a neighborhood to boss around, she had plenty of time to keep us on task! She gave herself the job of family secretary. She learned our daily routine and then encouraged us to stick to it by barking and yelling consistently when we dared to do something different. No one in this house has slept in for years, because Emily wouldn't allow it. If she thought we needed to be in a different room, she'd tell us. If we didn't feed her on time (according to her), oh boy, our ears would pay for it!
In the last 6 months, sweet Emily was just not comfortable anymore. But she still showed glimpses of the silly girl she was as a young dog. From sneaking into the kitchen, to trying to eat an entire scoop of canine ice cream in one bite--then getting a brain freeze--she never stopped making us laugh.
Miss Em amazed everyone she met with her playfullness, love of people and attention, and confidence. Whether she was running around the dog park, or taking off half a mile down the beach on a camping trip (a week after we got her!), she was always up for anything. An adventure outside or a piece of cheese and a nap.