In Memory, 1996-2010--A Dog tale

[Savor the Stick]

In Memory, 1996-2010
6th April, 2010: Posted by glpease in Editorial
He came to me 14 years ago, a young dog; a furry, frenetic, non-stop, spinning ball of perpetual motion. At the shelter, they’d called him Rocky. It didn’t fit. Taz fit.

He drove me nuts. He drove Pasha and Kismet, my other two dogs at the time, nuts. Anything that looked even vaguely alive was something to spring upon, a trait particularly annoying to the gophers that poked their unknowing heads from the security of their holes, only to find a bounding wolf, all four paws high in the air, descending upon them. Taz never got more than a snout full of dirt, but he never tired of the sport.

For the first few days that he lived with me, I was almost convinced that his energy was more than I, or the other dogs could live with. But, his boundless enthusiasm and constantly wagging tail won me over. And, his snuggles. And his intelligence. He was one of the special ones, and I knew he’d settle in, or I’d just get used to him, or both. He wasn’t always easy to live with, but neither am I; we both had things to learn.

When we’d go out, he’d dash ahead, then stop, turn and look back at me as if to say, “What’s the matter with you? Why walk, when you can run?” He was pure joy. You could see the smile in his eyes. And, he was very bright. He was almost instantly house-trained, and learned what he needed to know quickly in order to get along with his new family. I rarely had to teach him something more than once.

Over the years, he slowed down. We all do. He went from puppy, to dog, to mature dog, to old age. During the past year, he’d lost his hearing, gone very gray, and was getting stiff. Towards the end of last week, the signs were clear; his clock was winding down. Friday, he stopped eating. He stopped drinking. He stopped wagging his tail. On Saturday morning, I took him for a last, slow, patient, stumbling walk. He sniffed the flowers, rubbed against the weeds, looked at the world around him with the curiosity he’d always had. A little after noon, he took his final breath. He was old. It was his time. That doesn’t make it any easier.

I will miss him more than I can express, and probably more than I know. This morning, I absentmindedly dropped a piece of food in his bowl, which I haven’t had the heart to remove from the kitchen, still expecting him to dash in and devour it. Every time I open a door, I expect to find him behind it. I can still smell him wherever I go, especially in my office. I still expect to trip over him in the dark. It’s been hard cooking without his being next to me, begging for a handout, and my having to tell him, “Would you get out of my way?” I can’t even think about smoking a cigar - every time I’d light one, he’d expect to be going for a walk, or sitting with me on the porch. It’s all different, now, and I know it will be strange for a long time.

Another will find me one day. That’s the way it’s always been. I don’t find dogs; they find me. But, I am going to miss him terribly.

We do our best to do the right thing for our four legged friends. It’s never easy when they leave us, and even though I’ve been through it too many times to think about, experience doesn’t really help with this one. Each one is as hard as the last. As I watched Taz getting stiffer and grayer, as his hearing went, as he stopped jumping into my lap, or dashing up and down the stairs, I knew he was getting old. He’d been with me from pup to dog to old man, and now he’s gone. Our jobs is to love them while they’re here, which is never long enough. Those who have been through it know what I am saying.

Rest well, beloved friend.
GL Pease
reprinted from here: http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=72#more-72

Though I didn't write the above, the words were in my heart and soul. I still mourn the day in 2008 when I lost my friend to time. Hawkett's Jessika Windstorm---Jessie, or Porkchop. I had that Yellow Labrador for 12 1/2 years. Still miss her love and companionship.

[E.J.]

Losing a dog is the chits.... Much tougher than I always expect.... My last, Scout, "threw a clot" on January 17th 2010....



All the pain that losing a dog brings, I'll always have one....

[CigarNut]

That was a great article, and I am sorry for your loss -- I can tell how much you miss your dog!

[galaga]

Yup. I still miss Rascol from time to time. Good times.

[Blueface]

Lost my little buddy Champ in April.
I still haven't gotten over it.

[Blindjimme]

Queen Dharma Blue, now 13 1/2. There will be a tough day in our future.

Geez, that brought tears to my eyes.

[elderboy02]

Originally Posted by Darrell

Geez, that brought tears to my eyes.

The room get dusty on you too?

I hate losing dogs. My little dog is getting up there in years as well.

Originally Posted by elderboy02

The room get dusty on you too?

Yeah, Dan. Someone needs to vacuum around here.

[Gophernut]

Originally Posted by Darrell

Yeah, Dan. Someone needs to vacuum around here.

Send them my way Darrell. We put our Border Collie Beatrice down last fall. We were going to wait until spring to get another dog, but when out ice fishing last year, Gracey found us. Contacted animal control, the Sheriff's office, local stores. No one claimed her, so she became part of our life now! It's simply amazing how it all happened.

[kelmac07]

Sorry for your loss...loved the story.

[Chingas]

The story was intense. I have three puppies now and if I'm lucky old age will take them rather than something sudden or unexpected. It'll be a tough time when the three little bastards (i mean that in the best way) move on to doggy heaven!

[maninblack]

Damn this really got to me. I am going to miss my bulldog Jax when he's gone. Hopefully he outlives the expectations of the breed. Even though he gets in my way more often than not, he's my right hand man. Thanks for sharing this.

That was a great piece. I lost my dog last summer and for the first few days I kept expecting him at the door when I opened it, and whenever I dropped food on the floor I realized I actually had to pick it up instead of calling him. We have a new dog now and she is great, so I guess life goes on. I still miss my boy though.

[bsmokin]

Ugh... It kills me to read these stories...

My best friend in the world is a 4 y/o yellow lab, Murphy. He is my first dog. I can only imagine the mess I will be when he leaves this world... but, with God's grace, we will hopefully have a long while together still.

[Savor the Stick]

Originally Posted by Blindjimme

Queen Dharma Blue, now 13 1/2. There will be a tough day in our future.

Gosh that Picture really gets me........a Lab (or any dog for that matter) is never happier then when their laying at you feet, looking up at you with those big brown eyes.---well maybe when they are laying on the bed with you; pushing you off the bed! Good Memories!

Thanks for the replies

[hotreds]

Losing a member of the family is a tough thing. Sorry for your loss. Hardest thing I ever did was petting my dog Lady as she passed on to her great reward a few years ago. RIP all you wonderful canine companions. You are missed more than you can ever know!