Tribute: Cochie

Yesterday morning my dog of 9 years, Cochie passed away. She was 14 years old. She had grown quite sick the past couple months with struggled breathing, hard coughing, and bloody nose-runs. Things got even worse when she got into a fight with my brother's dogs and got bit in the face. This lead to a pretty bad infection in which I had to take her to the vet about a month ago. Cochie has always been quite the anxious dog, and never did well at the vet. So like usual they had to sedate her, just to give her some proper care. But the sedation really took a toll on her. I almost thought she might die from the sedation, but she eventually regained her strength after a couple days. However she was not herself after that sedation and completely lost her appetite. It was a struggle to give her the pain/penicillin meds since she just wouldn't eat much. 

During the 1st week of October we went on a family vacation to Punta Cana and I got my aunt and niece to watch over her. One of those days she had a pretty bad blood discharge from her nose. My understanding is she did okay but still her appetite was at a minimal. When I saw her after that week vacation I was shocked at how much weight she had lost. She no longer wanted to eat her canned food or leftovers. I was able to get her to nibble on some chicken skin and broth, but just not much. I think by that point I had finally accepted that Cochie was dying. The kids came that weekend and I think this brought her some new life and energy. But it was short-lived and a few days later she was back to her very fragile state. I was afraid it was only a matter of time until I would find her dead on the floor. 

Last weekend I was planning to go to Fort Wayne for my grandmother's 80th birthday. However on Friday I let Cochie outside and she laid on the ground for a bit and then simply could not get up again. I had to carry her inside. After this she struggled for some time to stand up and simply could not which lead to some very heavy breathing. I feared that I could not take her to Fort Wayne in this state and did not want to leave her alone, so decided to stay home with her last weekend. I'm glad I made this decision since it was her last couple days. 

On Sunday evening she somehow managed to walk down to the basement, but could not get back up after that. So I had to carry her upstairs again. After this she struggled for some time to try to stand up. This was the hardest part to watch her struggling with this reality. That she could no longer stand up. This lead to over exertion which led to some heavy breathing. She would also bark and let out some loud cries. Not sure if it was physical pain or more emotional pain. Maybe both. I stayed closed to her that evening and gave her as much pets and attentions as I could before going to bed. I had a good feeling she would die overnight. And sure enough Monday morning there she was, stiff as a rock. Was such a shock to see her in that state. It was sad, but also brought me peace that she was now in peace. 

Look Back at Cochie's Life

Philip and Shawnna got Cochie as a pup and named her "Cochina" which is Spanish for pig (since she was eating like a pig). She was a black dog, part lab, part German Shepard, and definetely seemed to have some wild in her. I quickly liked Cochie the first time I saw her, for her athletic/wolf-like appearance. We had a Germán Shepard (Loba) as kids, and ever since I have been more partial towards the wolf breed dogs. She was extremely energetic and fast as a young pup and I remember seeing her several times leap over my parent's fence at Kekionga. 

I remember our first time together, I took her camping with me in 2010 with my friends EJ, Laura, and Daniella. She was only a pup, not even a year old, and this was our first adventure together. She sat in the backseat as we drove to Van Buren, Michigan. I remember at one point at a gas station she broke free of her leash and I was so afraid she would run off, but she did not. We had a great time camping and she did such a great job and was a hit with my friends as well as the fellow campers in the area. After this experience I dogsat Cochie several more times at my apartment at River Road from 2011-2012 (which was pet friendly).  

Cochie always had a bit of a wild side which brought out her anxious side (especially around kids and little girls). Not sure if it was fear, jealousy, insecurity, protection, or flat-out dislike but she had several instances of biting some of the kids at our family gatherings. It was in the summer of 2014, when I had just bought my new condo, that Philip and Shawnna asked me if I would become Cochie's new owner. Since I didn't have any children, and was quite fond of dogs and Cochie, I gladly took on the new responsibility. Being a dog-owner was something I had been thinking of for some time, and it was even better that it was a dog that I was already quite familiar with (and who was already trained). 

Those first couple years when Cochie joined me at my condo was a very new and exciting time in my life. I had a new job with Dow Agro, a new house, and now a new companion to take care of. I was a much better pet owner at that time. I took her on frequent runs at Eagle Creek Park and would often buy her toys and snacks. I took her to social gatherings with my college friends. I got her a nice bed for downstairs in the living room, and upstairs in my bedroom. She loved my wooded backyard and whenever I built a fire indoors. I even took her to the vet frequently to get her shots and give her medicine. I remember there were problems of course early on, especially with my blinds. She would tear them down while I was at work which was quite frustrating. I later changed the blinds and put some furniture next to the windows so she couldn't jump up there and knock them down when strangers were outside. 

In 2017 Cochie got a new roommate when I got a new cat from Philip and Shawnna, Mugsy. This was the first cat I ever had and wasn't sure what to expect since we never had one as kids. I tried to give them equal attention, and believe they got along fine for the most part. During the day Cochie now had someone to hang out with while I was at work. Sometimes it seemed like Mugsy would bully Cochie, but I think it was all just good playful fun. Life went on pretty uneventful with these two for some time. At some point I changed the food routine to giving her half a can of wet food mixed with dry food (use to just be always dry food). I also remember at some point when I was dog-sitting Lady, the two of them went on a morning adventure. I was almost an hour late for work as I drove all around the neighborhood trying to find them. I remember my neighbor Jennifer helped me finally locate them. 

I won't lie I began to grow quite frustrated with Cochie's anxious behavior especially at big family gatherings. She continued to nibble at the kids if they got too close, which made them feel afraid and made me feel guilty when any of them were bitten. It got extremely difficult to take her to the vet, even after putting her on anxiety meds, she just wouldn't let these doctors near her to give those shots. I remember in the summer of 2020 while working on Philip's barn, she bit the babysitter pretty badly in the calf. Cochie always had such a motherly instinct and was protecting the chicken, but still made the poor girl bleed. I was afraid I might get a fine or even worse, but luckily the girls' parents did not press any charges. 

In the summer of 2021 I had some good quality time with Cochie when I took her camping to Brown County State Park. I pitched a tent, did some reading, made a campfire, cooked some steak, and went hiking. I planned a good 3 mile hike with Cochie, but it was so extremely hot that afternoon we hardly made it half-mile before Cochie had enough. I remember walking around with her and some young girl asked to pet her, and she did such a good job at not reacting. I told myself I wanted to camp more frequently but just never got it since then. I remember she got a little sick after returning, maybe from the steak I gave her or something else. She always had such a good appetite and would eat about anything in the leftover department. She loved cheese, meat, and bones. 

I think it was a couple years ago she gave me quite a scare when she ran off. I remember I had gotten home from work, and must have had quite a bad day, and there was poop on the floor, and naturally I yelled at her. I sent her outside and then after some time noticed she had gone missing. I spent the entire evening looking for her, walking and driving around the neighborhood. I even put up online ads that she had gone missing. I think later that night I did find her nearby hiding by a tree. She had run off for a little bit, but had returned. I was so happy she was back and made sure not to get too angry at her again. Sometimes I think Cochie didn't really like me as much as my parents, but I know she was always grateful for me. I was certainly always grateful for her companionship. Even on the rare days where she was gone, it felt so different and empty in the house. 

Perhaps the biggest change for Cochie (aside from moving in with me in 2014) was moving into my new house in Zionsville a year ago. I settled on a house with a fenced-in backyard mostly so Cochie would have space to run and explore the outdoors. I had grown tired of the regulations at my condo, especially when a neighbor filed a complain because Cochie was in her yard. Now in my new house Cochie had plenty of space to roam and explore freely. Naturally it took her a few days to get use to the routine, but soon she established her new habits of where to sleep, rest, and eat. She made friends with the next door dog and would love to sit out by the fence and watch for him. 

I like to think she got at least 7 or 8 good months here at my new place until her condition began to worsen. Her reaction time and energy had certainly taken a dip the past year. She had also begun to lose her hearing, and I would have to clap to get her attention when outside. The coughing, breathing, and bloody-nose runs probably began in the early summer and continued to grow worse. Even then however I didn't think it would be near the end for Cochie, and still thought she had a couple more years in her. She was always such a tough dog, a true survivor. But I think the bite and the sedation really expedited her worsening condition. The average lifespan for dogs is 10-13, and I'm glad to know she made it to 14. She lived a pretty long life and I don't think she was really ever in true pain. I sometimes wish I could have done more to make her happier, but I cared for her, and fed her, and gave her shelter for nearly 10 years and I think that benefited both her and myself. She was a good dog, her life was a part of my life, and she will never be forgotten.