To All the Dogs I’ve Ever Loved :)
There’s always been something familiar about Scout. She’s been a loyal friend right up to the end of her long, happy life. I’ve never had a dog more protective than her. Letting her go was hard but also easy because she had been such a companion over the years that she deserved to go out in style.
Okay, so maybe this isn’t the most important blog on the internet today but to me it sure should be. How many of us come home after a long day of crap only to be greeted by a furry face that is genuinely happy that we’re finally home? What would we do without the unconditional love from our fur babies? I can only speak for myself but let me just say that I don’t know WHERE I’d be if it weren’t for the love of my dogs…past and present! People come in and out of our lives; some to stay and some merely to just pass through, but our pets stay the course with us until the end…usually though, it’s their end. I’ve had several dogs in my life thus far but ALLL of them have held a place in my heart that remains even to this day.
Puppy, my lone survivor of all…past and present. I don’t know what I’d do without my little stray baby!
Shane, Peanuts, and Friskie were my childhood dogs and although my memory of them is vague I do remember these three things…Shane got into my dad’s fishing hooks in the garage and found a way to run out AND run away. We never did find him 🙁 ! Peanuts, my little black dachshund, ran out in front of a car on Halloween night. Although he didn’t die that night, he did eventually die from the horrific event. It was a shocking thing for an eight year old to see (BAD MEMORY ALERT). Then there was Friskie. “Sir Friskie Frederick the 1st” was a registered miniature dachshund that I literally CRIED for (who lets an eight year old name their dog that…Mom) . My parents were dirt poor at the time and barely had money for all of us let alone an extra expense. From the moment I watched the lady bring him into my mom’s beauty salon, snuggled in a blanket in a cardboard box, I wanted that sweet, red colored eight week old puppy. With one kiss on the head I was in love. I cried all day and all afternoon and by nine o’clock that night my dad said, “Take her to go get that damn dog!” We had Friskie until he peacefully passed one night at the end of the hallway. That’s the way I want to go, in my sleep. He was 16 years old.
Then there are the dogs you have as a young adult. The ones that you get but don’t realize what a responsibility they are until you realize what a responsibility they are. Now I might add here that I was raised that if you get a pet by golly’s you see it through til the end. Once you decide to bring one home they become part of your family. You don’t get rid of them or give them away…unless it’s ABSOLUTELY necessary. I’m sorry to say that we had a couple of dogs that we did have to find homes for. It’s not easy. In fact it’s downright hard to give away something that you love. Smokey, our Alaskan Malamute, was one of our exceptions. We were able to find him a good home and he’ll go down as one of my favorites!
I’ve got a lot of good memories with Tip. He used to always bring bones that he’d found out in the pasture up to the house to chew on. Once he brought a pair of men’s RED polyester pants. We had an old cemetery down by the creek with headstones dating back to the late 1800’s. I always prayed it wasn’t someone’s pants from there lol.
Who I am I kidding? They were all my favorites! Nikki, Smokey, Oreo, Snorkls, Harpo, Freckles, Little Harpo, Cheyenne, Tip, Raven, Scout, and now the lone survivor…Puppy! There’s just something about a dog. They’re loyal no matter what you do. They always love you. That right there is unconditional love and the ONLY other time in your life that you’ll get true unconditional love is from our Father God. Parents love their children without conditions but sometimes, even then, we feel like they’re placing conditions on us. Not so with a dog. We could have just scolded them for something and without a moment to pass they look at us with those sweet eyes and they know that we know that they know that we’re not angry anymore and their tail goes to waggin’.
Nowhere in our lives does that kind of forgiveness happen so quickly. A dog’s love for his owner is one like no other. It’s also a companionship like no other. I suppose that’s why it’s so hard when our dogs get to the end of their lives and we have to make that final step for them into “doggie heaven.” I’ve had to do that several times in my life because like the rule of never giving your dog away, I also live by the rule that when it comes to doing what needs to be done you see it through to the end… with your dog in your arms, loving him or her til he or she takes her last breath. If you’ve ever had to do it then you know what I mean when I say it’s one of the hardest things in life to do. However, it’s worth it in the end because it fills your life with even more meaning.
To all the dogs I’ve ever had…I love you. You brought meaning to every season of my life and you taught me, not just about learning to be responsible, also about loyalty, friendship, compassion for another, but most importantly love…without any conditions placed on it. Thank you for allowing me to come into your hurts and to trust me enough to be your friend (Smokey), for forgiving me when I gave you away to someone who didn’t know your worth and value (Nikki) and then somehow letting us find you again so we could bring you back home to be with your family who really loved you. Thank you for accompanying me down the gravel road that night when those strange men stopped to ask me for directions (Tip). The hair stood up on the back of your neck just before you took a step between me and their car while you proceeded to growl. Thank you for drying my river of tears (Puppy) more times that either one of us can count. If anyone needs a drink for putting up with my drama, it would be you (insert ACDC’s Have a Drink On Me). Thank you for the blessing of allowing me inside your private moment when you gave birth to the cutest and fattest babies ever (Snorkls), and for being genuinely glad to see me every time I came home…and sometimes even when I came BACK home (Scout).
This photo was taken in the fall before I had to put her down. She posed with such grace. Scout was not just a dog. She was probably the most loyal soul that’s ever loved me. Scout girl, thanks for the many times you laid on the porch, guarding and keeping watch as our protector.
Mostly I would like to show my gratitude, TO ALL OF YOU, for making me laugh on those days when I could barely hold my head up and didn’t really feel like laughing. You will ALWAYS be in my heart and I will carry your memories with me throughout my days…and I want to make sure you know how grateful I am to have had you by my side, loving me.
With my sincerest and deepest love,
Your guardian angel (Mama)
