BRODIE MILLER 
(Laugharne Icarus)

Probably one of the most asked questions from a potential dog owner is "what is this breed like with children?"  This is because the new puppy is going to come into contact with grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and children in the neighbourhood, not to mention the brothers and sisters this puppy is going to adopt.

I can say, without reservation, the Welshie was created by God as a people dog and especially a children's companion.  In fact, I have to go so far as to say, they are not really dogs at all, just hairy small people.

When we took Brodie into our home (as our fourth child) I was engaged in the business of Family Day Care, where I was a licensed carer working in my own home.  There were significant issues of insurance and liability regarding childcare and animals in contact with young children and babies.  All animals were to be excluded from play areas and only supervised contact was permitted.  However, as soon as the children saw this adorable puppy, he was in.  At that time I was also potty training three toddlers and didn't know whether the puddles I was mopping up were Brodie's or the children's. 

Brodie exhibited none of the unacceptable habits of other unmentionable breeds.  He delighted in having 3 or 4 children climbing on top of him, fighting him for a ball.  All toys were considered generic and Brodie only chewed up cheap ones anyway.  He was the first into the sandpit in the morning and taught the children the art of digging and mountain building.  He sneaked bites off plates when I wasn't looking, to the delight of the young ones.  Quiet time in the afternoon meant Brodie and any children who didn't have sleeps would take to beanbags and watch a video.  Brodie also considered it his duty to stand watch at all times, and was at the front door for the first arrival of the day, and would see the last one out at night.  We never had to exercise him at this time.  He raced the children on their bikes and scooters, always having to be first.  He learned how to cheat at ball games by pushing the children away or standing on their feet.  He thought having his water bowl knocked over while drinking from it was another game; and he never growled when his tailed was tweaked or when he was bear hugged around the neck.  He was always the attention seeking clown such as when he was given an all over colour change by rolling in spilt paint on the painting mat, or falling down the steps in his hurry to keep up, and pretending he meant to do it, or running into things because he wasn't looking where he was going.  And like any intelligent "person", when he'd had enough he would take himself off to -Brodie Zone- which was a place we agreed he could take refuge in, and no one was allowed to enter.

Of course Brodie's and the children's safety and wellbeing were always a priority.  He was the perfect dog to help teach children how to love animals and behave properly with them, as many of the care children didn't have a pet at home.  The Welshie isn't so tall that he can knock little ones over; they have boundless energy, are cheeky and impossible to ignore.

Three years ago I gave up the childcare and returned to work outside the home.  We worried about the effect this would have on Brodie.  But he has also grown up a little (he's 7 now).  There are 6 adults in our family and we come and go all day.  One is full time at Uni with a different timetable every day, one has a traineeship locally and comes home at odd times, as well as studies part time, and two are engaged in hospitality work.  Never a dull moment.  As soon as someone is preparing to leave the house Brodie runs for his ball or rope for one last play before seeing them safely out the door, and watches at the window for anyone returning for another play.  The garden is a huge source of fun still.  He hides in the bushes and when I'm lost in another world, quietly weeding, out pops a paw to frighten me.    He's currently trying to evict a family of sleepy lizards who live under a Marie Cecille rose that's rambled along the back fence, by digging up the soil.  He's always coming in covered in leaves and rose petals.  And, because the house is on a very sloping block, he can sit right on the edge of the deck and stare down at the neighbours in their garden.

There is only one person visitors to the house have come to see.  And he makes sure they know he's home.  Rhiannon's partner from Canada (Stu) has been with us for over a year, and he is allergic to dogs.  We have had to confine Brodie to certain parts of the house and he has taken all that in his stride.  Brodie knows Stu can't pat him but he still likes to run around and make a fuss whenever Stu walks through Brodie's area.  And Stu has suffered very few allergic episodes because of Brodie.

We delight in having this wonderful sensitive animal in our home and in our lives.  No matter what sort of day I've had, or what mood I'm in, Brodie is an instant fix.  And that goes for everyone.  He instinctively knows when is a good time to be close and has been a great comfort.  His reward is our care of him - we know he has the best of everything, including medical care.

Last year Peter and I went to Canada and England for a holiday.  Both daughters were in Canada at the time, and we wanted to catch up with family in England -our first visit since leaving over 30 years ago.  We left Brodie in the capable hands of our son David, with very strict instructions on a -Brodie first-regime.  However, David did ring several times with concerns about him and when we returned we found Brodie not looking very well - to say the least.  David and Georgina (who had returned from Canada by then) had done all they could, even taken him to his vet, but no resolution.  He looked like he had just finished a lengthy period of chemotherapy - large bald patches all over, lethargic, smelly, skinny, constantly vomiting - in fact only a mother could love this dog.  I took him back to the vet a couple of times - but he couldn't work out what was wrong.  So I changed vets and took Brodie to see Tim Tolley in Blackwood.  While in the waiting room Tim walked past, looked at Brodie and said "you've got a dog with a thyroid condition".  Blood tests later confirmed this, and the solution was simple - we give Brodie 1 1/2 Oroxine tablets twice a day.

Brodie was picking up until a few weeks later, he collapsed.  We rushed him off to Anzac Highway where a heart condition was diagnosed.  We left him there for the weekend and visited him several times.  They merely watched him.  He couldn't keep food down and his whole insides looked like they were being torn apart.  On the Monday I collected him and was told to take him to my local vet, he was seriously ill and probably wouldn't survive.  Tim offered us hope.  He didn't believe it was Brodie's heart and immediately made an appointment for Brodie to see David Davies at the Veterinary Referral Hospital at Magill that morning.  David admitted Brodie, took X-Rays, put him on drips, and into -intensive care- etc.  Later that day we were told he was very ill with double pneumonia.  As the week passed Brodie picked up a little but was still weak with no will.  I sent all the kids round to visit him and that was a tonic.  He started to pick up from then on.  By the Friday David released him but with caution and to return on the Monday.  It was confirmed that Brodie does have a low thyroid so we need to maintain the treatment, but David's many tests also has diagnosed megrasophagus (I don't know how to spell that) and this was the cause of the pneumonia - food being regurgitated because the asophagus cannot push the food down to the stomach, and some of it ended up in Brodie's lungs. 

Thanks to David and his staff, to our family's perseverance, and Brodie's obvious strong constitution, he is now fit and well.  He still has megrasophagus.  He eats sloppy Pedigree Advance dog food (with water added and his pills) twice a day, standing up so that the food goes down with gravity.  He has had one setback since, when he started to go flat and we got antibiotics into him and he recovered very quickly.  We now have a supply of antibiotics on hand always so we don't have to panic - and don't kids and dogs usually get sick 10 minutes after the doctor/vet has closed for the weekend.

We can't speak highly enough of Tim Tolley for his persistence and encouragement, and especially David for his skill and compassion.  He knew how much this dog meant to us.  I believe his mother has Welshies so maybe Brodie knew he was in good hands anyway.  Brodie has had no recurrence of the regurgitation for about 10 months, and he is fit as a fiddle - if only he'd stop eating things in the garden. 

We have been very blessed to have Brodie as part of our family.  His medical bills have been huge, but I couldn't not do everything in my power to help him survive, and he has rewarded us many times over with his love and devotion.  I know that he knows how ill he was and since then he seems to be even more sensitive and comforting.

I can only say we were very fortunate to find this breed of dog.  We had two Old English Sheepdogs before and when my last one died I decided we needed a change in breed.  But it was very difficult after having such beautiful looking dogs to consider a less attractive breed.  So the children borrowed a book on dog breeds from the local library and must admit we were getting worried that we would never find a good looking dog as we neared the end of the book.  We turned the pages on Weimarener, Welsh Corgi, and there it was - Welsh Springer Spaniel - in full colour.  We didn't go any further and never looked back.