MICKY - My brother-in-law knew exactly how I suffered after the loss of Briska and he was the one who found a way to end this suffering. He told me he had a cocker for whom he had to find a home but he had enquired everywhere without success. Now he would be obliged to have this 2 years old, healthy animal put to sleep. You can't do that, only because nobody wants him, to kill him I complained. Perhaps you could take him, then he does not have to be put to sleep, but I would have to collect him in the afternoon that very same day. In any event I joined my brother-in-law to collect the dog and then to decide. I would have had misgivings all my life if I had allowed this which my brother-in-law knew only too well. We drove to the people and were asked into their living-room. The maid had to collect the dog from the cellar where the dogs were kept. Micky was a silver merle and she was dragged by force by her collar into the room. She was not allowed inside this room as a rule. The wife told us that Micky was a trained hunting dog and had been bought just for this reason. Alas Micky had absolutely no interest in hunting, quite the contrary, when the beaters released her lead, she would make a run back to the car instead of joining the pack and therefore they no longer wanted her. What kind of people are they, I asked myself. The dogs being kept in the cellar and my own could sleep in my bed if he so wished. Poor Micky, no you will not be put to sleep, that I promise you, you will have a good life with me - so ran my thoughts. The intension of my brother-in-law became fact - a long time later he confided to me that he wanted Micky for me so that I could at long last become "normal" again and he had never even tried to find a new home for her.
Unfortunately Micky did not live very long. The bitch was only 6 years old when the vet confirmed distemper. She was ill for a long time, but the vet had hoped that she would survive. Some weeks later he thought she had recovered and that I, as planned, could go on holydays with her. The hotel was reserved, the tickets were puchased. This time I intended to go by train instead of by car to a winter resort. It was our last night before our departure when Micky had an epileptic fit at 2 a.m.. She shook with her legs and her head and dropped to the floor, but recovered a while later. Finished - no holidays - instead a trip to the vet again in company of my  brother-in-law. His friend suggested to have her put to sleep at once he wanted to spare me the screams of the dog relating to the illness of the dog, which would occur during the fits. The previous night was the first attack, but these would happen more often and in constantly shorter intervals, each time getting worse. My brother-in-law took me again into the waiting room and returned to the surgery, only collecting me after Micky had passed away. Micky had helped me to cope with the death of Briska. This time I did not want to wait that long and started looking for a  new companion at once - many tears were shed just the same.

TRACEY and SILKY were not the names of the pedigrees. TRACEY's name was Bluebonnet Copperbeach and SILKY's Cockington Corinne. After the death of Micky I found in the journal "Hundesport" addresses of Cocker Spaniel breeders. An Egnlish woman had her Kennel only abount 10 car minutes from me and she had blue merle pups. Another breeder with a very well known and desired line of white/orange dogs lived near Olten. She too had a litter. I first went to Kanton Solothurn and there I found the white/orange Corinne, who because of the cheeky manner in which she treated her brothers and sisters impressed me and would certainly fit my ideas. At the other Kennel, there was a clumsy little tricolour pup who apparently was exactly as a famous English Cocker bitch and for this reason they called her Tracey even though her name according to the pedigree was Bluebonnet Copperbeach. By the way, she was the only tricolour of the litter. I had asked for a 2 days grace to think about things. The dogs were anyway still too young to be parted with. At that time breeders kept their pups till all adult front teeth had penetrated and parted with them from 3 months onwards.
I had decided - as always the dog had to accompany me to my work. At the firm I had just moved to a very large, groundfloor office for my sole use with plastic floor - ideal for dog puppies. Much time to play with them I did not have during working hours. So I decided to purchase both pups so they could play together in my office. Tracey was three weeks older than Silky. So she would move in a little earlier. The breeder suggested meantime I could have a walk with Tracey after work. 

So I drove every second day in the evening to the Kennel to have a walk with her. When I turned up the 3rd time, the breeder told me that Tracey had already been sitting at the gate for 15 minutes waiting for me. Finaly she too was 3 month old and came home to me. Three weeks later we also collected Silky. Tracey accepted her but indicated quite clearly and showed me that she was not too keen on having got competition. Right from the first day Tracey slept in bed with me, now Silky came too. The large dog basket they only used during the day, at night it remainded empty. It took more than 2 weeks before Tracey realized that it was  after all not too bad to have a companion.
After 14 years Tracey became seriously ill. She no longer wanted to go for walks and wanted nothing to do with Silky, She hardly ate anything and one morning I found her on the balcony hiding behind a big deep chair in a corner. Animals hide when they feel that they are going to die. At the vets we put her in the waiting room on the floor in front of the radiator, which was opposite the door. He asked us to leave  the room, leaving the door open. Tracey remained seated - she did not follow us. This time I was the one who held Tracey in my arms till the releasing injection had worked.
On evening walks Silky looked for Tracey. After a short walk she wanted to go home again, but Tracey was not there either. Some time later we met a woman with a small black dog. Silky noticed them from a distance and started to wagg her tail, finally there comes Tracey again! But as they came closer it turned out to be a Poodle, not Tracey. Silky immediately wanted to return home. From this day on she no longer wanted to go for walks. Only quickly do her business and home!. Without Tracey she no longer wanted to live. A week later Silky, on the advice of the vet, was put to sleep - she too died in my arms.