FREUCHAN & DOCHIE

IN MEMORY OF FREUCHAN

(1988 - 2000)

When Freuchan and his Brother Dochie came into our lives just over 9 years ago - we did not know what to expect.  We had just lost a beautiful Irish Setter called Elsa, 'our little girl' and she had left a great hole in our hearts.  Taking on two 'rescues' was probably a risk, as you are never sure how they are going to take to you and, indeed, how you will cope with them.  We were determined to give them lots of TLC and make them feel 'at' home' as soon as possible.

Watching Dad do some Work!

Waiting for Mum to come home!

All I can say is what a joy it has been having the 'boys' as part of our family.  They have brought us so much pleasure, have never been any trouble and always behaved excellently.  Their characters have been like chalk and cheese - Fru seemed to be the boss, whilst Doo always remains quite and 'laid back' about life.  Fru took on the motherly role where Doo was concerned.  It used to make us all laugh the way he used to wash Doo's ears - pinning him down with one paw and vigorously licking away whilst Doo lay on his back with his legs in the air and a smile' on his face!

You can probably imagine how devastated we were when Fru became ill that day in June 2 years ago.  After spending the night at the Vets for tests, to be told the next day that he had cancer was awful.  Our Vet then suggested that he might only have 6 months to live as the tumour in his bladder was inoperable.  He also told us to expect little puddles all over the house because of Fru's condition.  But, Fru  never lost his dignity and there was never any accidents.  Fru was so determined to live his life to the full, he never felt sorry for himself and he amazed us all by carrying on happily for almost two years after being diagnosed.  He was going nowhere fast!

However, we both knew what we had to do when the time came .... as the Vet said, it had to be our last act of kindness for him, but what an awful, gut wrenching and heart-breaking thing it is to go through!

We are know left grieving for our 'boy' Freuchan - he too has left a massive hole in our hearts, and poor Doo is lost with out him - after all they were inseparable.  Doo knew that Fru was not well and he made allowances for him when we went for a walk.  He would go and have a run around but keep coming back to Fru's side.  They were hardly ever apart, and had only spent one night away from each other all their lives.  Doo has not even barked since Fru went and the house seems so quiet.  I used to come home to two wagging tails at the door, with Doo barking like mad and Fru joining in with his own noise.  (I swear, his mouth used to move as if he were trying to talk).  We all miss him terribly.  We are now concentrating on getting Doo through the ordeal, he has been very poorly - the Vet says it is caused by the stress of losing Fru.  He is getting lots of TLC, not just from us, but from all our family and friends - get well cards and lots of treats.

Dear Fru - he was very special to us, and we will always remember him with a smile.  We are grateful and feel honoured that he has been part of our lives.

We planted a tree today in memory of Dochie - the gardening book described it as 'whispy and elegant' and, believe it or not that is what Dochie was! He would 'ghost' about with a gentleness that was almost feminine. He was often mistaken for a lady dog alongside his brother Fru (who could only be described as tough and macho, even if underneath he was just like his brother Doo, soft at heart!)

Doo really was a gentleman; he didn't have an aggressive bone in his body - which made it impossible for him to stand up for himself when confronted with the unfriendly kind - he simply didn't know how and would just turn around and walk away gracefully.

However, Dochie did have a mischievous streak and wasn't always the quiet, sensible one. Mention the word CAT to him and his eyes lit up - he loved to chase cats, in a playful way, of course, and if he spotted one stalking birds in the garden he let you know in the loudest possible way he could! It always makes us smile when recalling an incident from a number of years ago (in his fitter days), he chased a neighbour's cat into their garden and attempted to follow it through the cat-flap in the door! Needless to say, the cat won and Dochie came home with a sore nose!

Doo Bored Watching TV!

Fru Watching Pet Rescue

 

But back to his gentle side, whenever either of us were feeling low or sad, Doo would sense it and comfort you with an expression that said 'its OK, I'm here', and he would cuddle up to you for a bit of mutual TLC - it worked wonders! He displayed that same awareness and sensitivity when Fru was ill, always putting his brother first, especially when it came to needing attention. I swear he knew every word we said to him - and understood! Thank you Doo, for being there for us all.

Poor Doo, he never really got over the loss of brother Fru. They were, after all, inseparable and for a while, back then in May 2000, we thought he would pine himself away to be back with Fru. The house is even quieter now - we keep expecting him to 'appear' in the doorway of the kitchen wondering where his dinner is, or to feel his eyes on us just before we wake up in the morning (telling us its time to go walkies!) When we go out - there's nobody to worry about or rush home for, we miss him terribly, just as we still miss Fru … Doo and Fru, our loyal 'double-act'!

And now, when we're feeling lonely and the tears well up, at least its comforting to know that Doo is reunited with his brother Fru, enjoying their time together again. It’s the end of an era for us with both of them gone but there will always be a place in our hearts for Doo and Fru - wherever we go, there they'll be, loved forever - never forgotten.

Sue and Dennis Langley August 2001