Taz was our first experience with a Llasa Apso. He left this world three years before Sophie came to our house to stay. Very similar in appearance, both dogs displayed friendly Llasa personalities.
But beyond that, Taz was Sophie’s opposite. Where Sophie is hesitant, Taz was bold, unrestrained, and impulsive, prone to dashing into the street for whatever reason. If ignored by a visitor, Sophie will give up, but Taz always insisted on his right to be acknowledged. In fact, one time he attacked my shoe because I didn’t let him out the door to greet a person on our porch.
Taz’s favorite spot was on the back of the loveseat, where he could keep an eye on the neighborhood. If I failed to raise the blinds, he’d let me know toute de suite. We shared Taz with our neighbors, Fran and Bill, across the street. On his days over there, he occupied a similar lookout.
Besides halving the bills, sharing Taz meant any time either family traveled, he’d still be at home. And Taz knew his job was to occupy and guard two houses. He happily crossed back and forth (with escort, of course). He’d probably have been equally happy to own three or four houses! He had a big heart.
We originally split the week, half there, half here. However, when Bill had his accident with a bandsaw, Taz’s schedule changed so that he could spend days comforting Bill. He returned to us for nights and morning walks.
I liked the new arrangement a lot, free to come and go without worrying about being gone too many hours at a stretch. And also, because in the night I could trust Taz’s senses to tell me whether I was lying awake due to some imagined sound or if it was really real.
Bill and Fran moved to be closer to their kids, so the sharing arrangement was no longer possible when Sophie came to stay.
The first time Sophie entered our house, she hopped up onto Taz’s loveseat, but only as far as the armrest. She likes to be high enough but not too high. The one time I placed her on the back to look out the window, she leaped down in a panic.
Does she know something we don’t?
Is Taz’s ghost still with us?
Kate Harrington 