I think I might be a little more in love with my dogs than the average dog lover, but I think about my current dogs' passing almost daily because I know how much I will miss them. About 6 years...
Exemplary
I think I might be a little more in love with my dogs than the average dog lover, but I think about my current dogs' passing almost daily because I know how much I will miss them.
About 6 years ago I lost my dearest friend - Scooter was an 8 lb Jack Russell terrier, but unlike most of her breed, she wasn't a super energetic speed demon, she was a cuddler. Probably because she was the runt of the litter and unlike her four brothers she didnt want to wrestle and play fight, she just wanted to cuddle.
And she was a pro cuddler. Being so small, she could easily fit inside my jacket and that was her preferred place to be, whether I was walking, riding my motorcycle, sitting at a table or watching TV. She just wanted to be warm and next to my heartbeat.
Scooter took me through some very dark times. A few years after we got her, my wife handed me a divorce and I found myself alone and feeling cut off from the world and many of the people I had known so well. But Scooter didn't notice, she just kept on loving me like she always had. And on the darkest, loneliest nights it was just her and I and I was deeply grateful for a small creature that could love me so much when I felt very unloved and alone. She saved my life.
We had many years together and my new wife learned to love her despite the fact that as she got older she got a little homelier and had some wickedly bad breath at times.
But she travelled with me everywhere I went. Any road trip, Scooter was thrilled to be in the co-pilot seat. As long as she was wrapped in her favorite blanket she would just lay down and nap. 10 miles or 1000 miles it didnt matter, she just wanted to go wherever I went.
And then after 13 years together, on one of those road trips something bad happened. I could tell she was failing. She quit eating, she barely lifted her head, her breathing sounded different. I knew the end was near and I hated it. But the further I drove the more I knew it was time.
That night we slept beside each other, with her cuddled right into my chest as close as she could be. I didnt move all night, not wanting to disturb what I knew was going to be our last night together.
The next day. I took her to the vet and with a great many tears already in my eyes (like now) I told the very kind lady behind the desk that I was bringing my dog in because "it was time". It only took a second for her to look at my flowing tears and my tiny dog cuddled in her blanket to know exactly what I meant.
She ushered me to a room at the back of the clinic where we waited for the vet. I talked to Scooter and let her know how much I loved her and how much she meant to me the whole time we waited, while stroking her head and her back and making sure she was as comfortable as possible.
I was a basket case by the time the vet came in but obviously she had done this many times before and she knew how hard it was. I said I thought it was so unfair that we love our dogs so much but then we have to let them go and it was SO painful. She said, 'But she's obviously been very loved, and had a very good life, and you are here when she needs you most and that's a very good and kind thing' That helped. And then she gently took Scooter into another room to give her a sedative and put an IV in her leg.
When she came back Scooter was even calmer, her breathing was a little easier and she was already a bit sleepy. After several minutes of just holding her and whispering to her, the vet asked if we were ready. We were - it only took a couple of seconds for the injection to take effect and she was gone, her small body went limp in my arms. And my heart broke in that instant.
I have lost friends before, I even lost my father last month, but nothing has come close to the pain of watching Scooter take her last breath. The vet sat silently and then a minute or two later graciously said, 'If you want, you can exit out the back door so you dont have to go through the lobby' It was a very welcome act of kindness.
I bundled Scooter into her blanket, her body still warm, and walked out the back door and was relieved to discover that it opened directly to a trail beside a river. So Scooter and I went for a long walk and I talked to her and recounted some of the good times we had together, pushing out the words between aching sobs. And again I reminded her how much she meant to me. We must have walked for more than an hour til I was ready to drive home.
When I got home I couldn't just bury her like she was, so I took a very nice piece of wood and built her a tiny casket, just big enough for her and her blanket and I gently placed her in there the same way she used to lie beside me on the car seat. Then I sealed the lid tight.
She's buried in my back yard, behind my shed with a tiny little sign that no one knows is there but me. It says "Scooter, 2018, Best Dog in the Whole World" A couple of times a year I go back there and just sit for a moment and tell her how much she meant to me. And occasionally I still tear up when thinking of her. I think it IS possible to love a dog even more than a human. Why not? The love they give is so unconditional and their loyalty faultless.
Scooter had a pure and kind heart. She never barked at anyone in her entire life, but she did sing and howl with me if the song was loud enough and she liked it enough lol. If there is a heaven - and I think there is - then I know she's already there waiting for me, ready for another song.
Til we meet again, my dearest friend, I Iove you. I always will.
Scooter's dad
It was pretty endearing, even though I didn't feel like I walked away having learned something. As a small tangent, I don't know how to feel about this article format. For most of the article it...
It was pretty endearing, even though I didn't feel like I walked away having learned something.
As a small tangent, I don't know how to feel about this article format. For most of the article it was slightly annoying, except for the last 2-3 swipes at the end. These past days there was another article, from some other publication, that had the same "infinitely scrolling" format. When did this trend start?
I think it works for some interesting graphic presentation of data, or a photo heavy story. I don't love it for something like this but I think it's a reasonable choice for something to be...
I think it works for some interesting graphic presentation of data, or a photo heavy story. I don't love it for something like this but I think it's a reasonable choice for something to be interactive. These have been around for a while, more as phones and bandwidth can handle them.
I'm even thinking of the (rather famous but the name escapes me) comic that's all scroll with static images until the head of the monster suddenly turns around backwards with an appropriate sound that startled you into slamming your laptop shut.
I think I might be a little more in love with my dogs than the average dog lover, but I think about my current dogs' passing almost daily because I know how much I will miss them.
About 6 years ago I lost my dearest friend - Scooter was an 8 lb Jack Russell terrier, but unlike most of her breed, she wasn't a super energetic speed demon, she was a cuddler. Probably because she was the runt of the litter and unlike her four brothers she didnt want to wrestle and play fight, she just wanted to cuddle.
And she was a pro cuddler. Being so small, she could easily fit inside my jacket and that was her preferred place to be, whether I was walking, riding my motorcycle, sitting at a table or watching TV. She just wanted to be warm and next to my heartbeat.
Scooter took me through some very dark times. A few years after we got her, my wife handed me a divorce and I found myself alone and feeling cut off from the world and many of the people I had known so well. But Scooter didn't notice, she just kept on loving me like she always had. And on the darkest, loneliest nights it was just her and I and I was deeply grateful for a small creature that could love me so much when I felt very unloved and alone. She saved my life.
We had many years together and my new wife learned to love her despite the fact that as she got older she got a little homelier and had some wickedly bad breath at times.
But she travelled with me everywhere I went. Any road trip, Scooter was thrilled to be in the co-pilot seat. As long as she was wrapped in her favorite blanket she would just lay down and nap. 10 miles or 1000 miles it didnt matter, she just wanted to go wherever I went.
And then after 13 years together, on one of those road trips something bad happened. I could tell she was failing. She quit eating, she barely lifted her head, her breathing sounded different. I knew the end was near and I hated it. But the further I drove the more I knew it was time.
That night we slept beside each other, with her cuddled right into my chest as close as she could be. I didnt move all night, not wanting to disturb what I knew was going to be our last night together.
The next day. I took her to the vet and with a great many tears already in my eyes (like now) I told the very kind lady behind the desk that I was bringing my dog in because "it was time". It only took a second for her to look at my flowing tears and my tiny dog cuddled in her blanket to know exactly what I meant.
She ushered me to a room at the back of the clinic where we waited for the vet. I talked to Scooter and let her know how much I loved her and how much she meant to me the whole time we waited, while stroking her head and her back and making sure she was as comfortable as possible.
I was a basket case by the time the vet came in but obviously she had done this many times before and she knew how hard it was. I said I thought it was so unfair that we love our dogs so much but then we have to let them go and it was SO painful. She said, 'But she's obviously been very loved, and had a very good life, and you are here when she needs you most and that's a very good and kind thing' That helped. And then she gently took Scooter into another room to give her a sedative and put an IV in her leg.
When she came back Scooter was even calmer, her breathing was a little easier and she was already a bit sleepy. After several minutes of just holding her and whispering to her, the vet asked if we were ready. We were - it only took a couple of seconds for the injection to take effect and she was gone, her small body went limp in my arms. And my heart broke in that instant.
I have lost friends before, I even lost my father last month, but nothing has come close to the pain of watching Scooter take her last breath. The vet sat silently and then a minute or two later graciously said, 'If you want, you can exit out the back door so you dont have to go through the lobby' It was a very welcome act of kindness.
I bundled Scooter into her blanket, her body still warm, and walked out the back door and was relieved to discover that it opened directly to a trail beside a river. So Scooter and I went for a long walk and I talked to her and recounted some of the good times we had together, pushing out the words between aching sobs. And again I reminded her how much she meant to me. We must have walked for more than an hour til I was ready to drive home.
When I got home I couldn't just bury her like she was, so I took a very nice piece of wood and built her a tiny casket, just big enough for her and her blanket and I gently placed her in there the same way she used to lie beside me on the car seat. Then I sealed the lid tight.
She's buried in my back yard, behind my shed with a tiny little sign that no one knows is there but me. It says "Scooter, 2018, Best Dog in the Whole World" A couple of times a year I go back there and just sit for a moment and tell her how much she meant to me. And occasionally I still tear up when thinking of her. I think it IS possible to love a dog even more than a human. Why not? The love they give is so unconditional and their loyalty faultless.
Scooter had a pure and kind heart. She never barked at anyone in her entire life, but she did sing and howl with me if the song was loud enough and she liked it enough lol. If there is a heaven - and I think there is - then I know she's already there waiting for me, ready for another song.
Til we meet again, my dearest friend, I Iove you. I always will.
Scooter's dad
That was brilliant. Thanks for sharing it.
It was pretty endearing, even though I didn't feel like I walked away having learned something.
As a small tangent, I don't know how to feel about this article format. For most of the article it was slightly annoying, except for the last 2-3 swipes at the end. These past days there was another article, from some other publication, that had the same "infinitely scrolling" format. When did this trend start?
I think it works for some interesting graphic presentation of data, or a photo heavy story. I don't love it for something like this but I think it's a reasonable choice for something to be interactive. These have been around for a while, more as phones and bandwidth can handle them.
I'm even thinking of the (rather famous but the name escapes me) comic that's all scroll with static images until the head of the monster suddenly turns around backwards with an appropriate sound that startled you into slamming your laptop shut.
Aha found it...creepy comic, you're warned. It's from 2011 so people have played with the concept for a while.