We bought her to help teach Robbie to ignore small animals, but she came to be so much more to me. She brought me bits of joy that Robbie couldn't, she amazed me with her bravery, and she never failed to make me smile. On New Year's Eve of 2019, we said goodbye to Flopsy for the last time. For us, it wasn't a happy new year. It was the end of something special, something dear, and something very much loved. We bought Flopsy when she was a few months old, from a local farm store. At first she lived in a retrofitted dog kennel that we moved about the yard during the day and brought inside at night. She did a fine job mowing the grass down. Once she got bigger, my husband built her a hutch with a run downstairs, and a ramp upstairs to a safe snuggle area. The hutch was predator proof. It was bigger and heavier, but we still moved her around the yard in the summer to let her have access to fresh grass all day long. In the winter we added extra boards, insulating bubble wrap, a small animal heating pad, and plenty of fresh water - even when it meant changing out her bottle 4-5x a day. For Robbie's training, first he learned to ignore her completely and give her hutch a 6ft berth. Once that was in place, we slowly let him closer, all the while testing his command and task training against her presence. They never got to play together, but they would often sniff each other through the bars. Flopsy would always come to the barrier to greet him, and likewise, Robbie would always stop to check in on her before going out to play. Sometimes if she got more attention than him, he would act extra goofy to get our attention back on him - we ignored him if he did that. When we loaded her hutch onto the trailer for staying with family during our vacations, she would ride in a carrier up front with me, leaving her hutch empty for the ride. Robbie would always insist on getting on the trailer to look for her before we left. We made sure that his behavior around her was always calm and interested, but not obsessive. That was the goal, after all. Flopsy was a bigger part of my day than I think most people ever knew. She got fed and checked on in the morning and evenings when I'd take Robbie out. During the day, I'd visit with her before Robbie's play sessions, we'd say goodbye when we left for walks and hello when we returned. Every time I passed a window with a view of her hutch, I'd pause and watch her for a bit. Eating grass, hopping about, or simply soaking up the sunlight. In the winter, her hutch was stationed permanently outside the kitchen window so that she was close enough to the house for being hooked up to a heating pad and warm water bowl. Every time I would wash dishes, I would look up and see her. Robbie is not a pet - he is a working animal. Flopsy was a pet. I got to enjoy the little pet things with her that I can't with Robbie. Robbie is always right there, whereas going out to see Flopsy and spend time with her was always a special treat. Flopsy would stand up and ask for head scratches or flowers. She was happy to see me, and I got to experience having an animal happy to see you after you've been gone. I don't get that with Robbie, because, he is always already with me. Robbie & I both get tired of each sometimes - I never had that with Flopsy. With Robbie I have to always be his leader, teacher, guardian, friend, and charge. With Flopsy it was simpler. I was responsible for her care and happiness, but I didn't have the responsibility of making sure I was always doing something the right way or balancing myself between me and trainer-me. With Flopsy, I was just me. Flopsy was brave. She didn't care if dogs relaxed near her, stared at her, or barked at her. She'd still bounce over to say hi. The only times she wasn't thrilled about invaders were when the cows broke out and when the lawn mower made close passes. When we'd do target shooting the yard, she would happily graze in her x-pen off to a safe distance, not a care in the world about all the noise. Flopsy loved dandelions, mimosa flowers, and sweet clover. She would eat pretty much anything, though. She wasn't a huge fan of toys - though we did try! We tried to give her time in the x-pen to hop and graze more freely in the summer, but it wasn't always the easiest adventure because she was very wily about being caught in her hutch. Flopsy was hardy. She withstood Missouri summers and yo-yo winters alike. She handled being relocated to friend's houses for short vacation stays, without being overly stressed out. I think she liked being outside better than inside. Inside, she would throw her box and race to the gate to watch each time Robbie got to go outside. Living outside may not be some people's idea of a perfect bunny life, but it worked for us. We gave Flopsy the best life we could. In December of 2019, we noticed she'd suddenly dropped weight and was acting off. We brought her inside for a few weeks, hoping we could stabilize her, but it only revealed a bigger problem. Based on her behavior and outward signs, we think she caught a neurological disorder from spoiled hay. She suddenly dropped weight, her behavior changed, she couldn't control where she went potty, she stumbled and fell often, and was in pain. We made the best choice for her by putting her down, but I wish things had gone differently. I feel guilty for letting her have last year's hay (the risk being potentially spoiled), and taking our chances. She died young, at only 2 or 3 years old. We lost. She lost. I held her, I told her she was loved, and I apologized for not doing better. I've been a mess the last few days. There are so many holes in my day where her sweet face used to be. I know we did the best we could. I only regret our best wasn't good enough. She will be remembered and cherished. Please enjoy the photos and videos below. Maybe you met her, maybe this is your first time learning about her. I couldn't have gotten Robbie as well-behaved with small animals without her help. Photo GalleryVideos
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My Name is Sally...I have a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This blog is about my journey training Robbie, a dog who helped me regain independence, confidence, and achieve the impossible in the face of my disability. It continues on with the training of Austin, Robbie's successor. Check Out... - "More than a Dog" was published on a site called The Mighty Categories
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