sassafraspete
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2003
- Messages
- 782
- Tractor
- Branson (kukje) 4020, 40hp turbo
I remember the day my wife brought him home. He was probably a year old, had way too much energy, and there was a chunk missing out of the tip of one ear.
His short coat was soft, and I immediately noticed how soft and loveable he was to pet. And ohh, did he love to have those ears rubbed. I would get both ears and start rubbing, with my thumbs messaging them in short strokes. When making over him one day, I had my head down, and to my surprise he reciprocated by biting on my ear...not hard biting, but with several short nibbles that mimicked what I did for him. After that, I knew he was a keeper.
He had been a city dog, and I imagine purchased during a time when one of those Disney dalmation pictures were popular. After a few months, I am sure the owners found the dog to have too much energy, need more room, and generally had to get rid of him. He somehow found his way to one of my wife's friends. It was there that he had been put in a pen with a small yapper who liked to chew on his ears, thus the missing chunk.
I believe that he had been to some kind of training, as he was very well mannered, and never caused any messes while in the house....other than an early stage of liking to chew on things. During the winter , he often slept in our garage/basement. He was always so polite when wanting out or in...he had this unmistakable bark...that was very low and gentle. Boy did he like to run. None of the neighborhood dogs could stay up with him. You could see how his bloodline was bred to run beside carriages.
The end was sudden. No warning. No signs. I got the call at work in the afternoon, my wife crying, could I come home soon.
It was a miserable , rainy day, with temperatures dropping. When I got home, I went to his doghouse....the one he very seldom used...except for times when he couldn't get in our basement. My wife down on her knees with half her body inside the box....saying her own farewell....as the cold rain fell.
She had been in the house when she heard a howl, an unusual howl. She ran out to see what that was about, when she found him in the box...seemingly having a seizure....maybe a heart attack. Don't really know what happened.
With the next few days going to be below freezing , and daylight fast coming to an end, I put on my raincoat and boots and headed out to pick a fitting spot. I found one in amongst some cedars. A nice quiet spot. I dug, as the rain pelted down. Mud stuck to my shovel and to my boots. How many times had I done this before? None in the rain, and none as hard as this one. Me, an old crusty and tough guy. Was that rain on my face or tears coming down?
I laid him to his final rest, and after returning my shovels to their place, I just started walking out in the rain....hard rain, with my boots squishing water with every step. I must have walked over every foot of our 16 acres.
Having come in out of the wet, the cold, I remembered a new CD I had just bought that day by a guy named Andy Griggs...and in particular because of a song called "if heaven". It seemed weird that I had bought that only hours before my wife called. I sat back in my chair and listened. There must surely be a dog heaven.
Alex, goodbye my friend.
His short coat was soft, and I immediately noticed how soft and loveable he was to pet. And ohh, did he love to have those ears rubbed. I would get both ears and start rubbing, with my thumbs messaging them in short strokes. When making over him one day, I had my head down, and to my surprise he reciprocated by biting on my ear...not hard biting, but with several short nibbles that mimicked what I did for him. After that, I knew he was a keeper.
He had been a city dog, and I imagine purchased during a time when one of those Disney dalmation pictures were popular. After a few months, I am sure the owners found the dog to have too much energy, need more room, and generally had to get rid of him. He somehow found his way to one of my wife's friends. It was there that he had been put in a pen with a small yapper who liked to chew on his ears, thus the missing chunk.
I believe that he had been to some kind of training, as he was very well mannered, and never caused any messes while in the house....other than an early stage of liking to chew on things. During the winter , he often slept in our garage/basement. He was always so polite when wanting out or in...he had this unmistakable bark...that was very low and gentle. Boy did he like to run. None of the neighborhood dogs could stay up with him. You could see how his bloodline was bred to run beside carriages.
The end was sudden. No warning. No signs. I got the call at work in the afternoon, my wife crying, could I come home soon.
It was a miserable , rainy day, with temperatures dropping. When I got home, I went to his doghouse....the one he very seldom used...except for times when he couldn't get in our basement. My wife down on her knees with half her body inside the box....saying her own farewell....as the cold rain fell.
She had been in the house when she heard a howl, an unusual howl. She ran out to see what that was about, when she found him in the box...seemingly having a seizure....maybe a heart attack. Don't really know what happened.
With the next few days going to be below freezing , and daylight fast coming to an end, I put on my raincoat and boots and headed out to pick a fitting spot. I found one in amongst some cedars. A nice quiet spot. I dug, as the rain pelted down. Mud stuck to my shovel and to my boots. How many times had I done this before? None in the rain, and none as hard as this one. Me, an old crusty and tough guy. Was that rain on my face or tears coming down?
I laid him to his final rest, and after returning my shovels to their place, I just started walking out in the rain....hard rain, with my boots squishing water with every step. I must have walked over every foot of our 16 acres.
Having come in out of the wet, the cold, I remembered a new CD I had just bought that day by a guy named Andy Griggs...and in particular because of a song called "if heaven". It seemed weird that I had bought that only hours before my wife called. I sat back in my chair and listened. There must surely be a dog heaven.
Alex, goodbye my friend.
