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The Most Lovable (Unlovable) Dog
During his almost seven years of being loved by his family (human and furry), Nicky tested the theory of being a good boy often, and frequently tried to prove that he was rather the best worst dog to ever live. Despite (and maybe because of) his chaotic nature, Nicky’s Alpha pet his head and told him he was a very good boy as crossed over the rainbow bridge on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The tales of Nicky were often his Alpha’s favorite writing material, and he became semi-famous in the veterinary world when the article “Does My Dog Really Need Anti-Anxiety Meds?” was shared by The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and viewed tens of thousands of times. Diagnosed in May with prostate cancer, Nicky sadly had a fast downward turn in his health over the last few weeks. His humans, and his furry friend and therapy dog, Gryffin, miss him greatly.
Always anxious he might be left behind, Nicky would cry when he saw his humans loading the car. Once, during prep for a weekend getaway (which he was going on along with his family), the humans took a long time to load the car, and left both house and car doors open while making multiple trips to make sure they had everything packed. Nicky ran out of the house, right through one car door, and instead of bouncing off the closed door on the other side — his usual routine – flew out the open door on the other side and tumbled down the driveway, completely confused and covered in dirt and leaves. He then refused to get in the car until Gryffin went first, to check out that it was safe. It was.
Nicky was a foodie. A voracious and indiscriminate eater, he counter surfed and stole food with abandon, but didn’t let limiting beliefs about food get in his way of culinary experiences. He also ate window and door molding, dry wall and furniture, especially when his separation anxiety convinced him that he should try to get outside the closed window he was trapped behind while he watched for his Alpha to return from her extra-long trip to the grocery store. Nicky often looked for forgotten granola bars and snacks in random places, and would eat the contents next to the found food, even if it was not also food, including the time he ate several rolls of poop bags and was hospitalized for a week. He was finally discharged so he could finish passing the plastic bags at home, and his human siblings sang “99 poop…
