Old Dogs, Young Dogs, Dead Dogs All
A friend of mine said good-bye to her dog the other day. Dice was a once-in-a lifetime dog, the dog with talent and personality and drive to spare. If you live with dogs, chances are you are going to have the experience of watching them die. Some die suddenly, some slowly, but given their relatively short life spans, they all die too soon.
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| Amber and I, Memphis 1985 |
So why do we keep subjecting ourselves to this heartbreak over and over again? Granted, some people don't--I've had people tell me of having a dog as a pet and of being so upset after the pet died that they never wanted another one. For me, as a dog lover, this just isn't a good solution. Coming home to an empty house makes me feel, well, empty. Every puppy is full of promise and hope. When you adopt an older dog, you know more about what you've got, but there's still that feeling of wondering what your lives will be like together. My first golden retriever Amber died of cancer at 4. I always felt cheated. I never got the chance to see her grow old with me, she died at a time when she should have been at her prime.
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| Lacy on the Platform at the Parade |
I had another golden, Bleys, by that time,and I didn't want another dog for quite a while. Then after a few months, I realized that the thought of NOT having one was worse, and that my other dog needed a companion, too. I took the plunge and got another puppy only to spend almost 15 years with her before she, too, passed on. At least she had a full doggy life; I showed Lacy to a point in conformation, she went all the way to a UD and had 2 UDX legs, she was a therapy dog, had the experience of giving birth, and two weeks before she died, she got all groomed up and became Queen for a Day at the Golden Retriever National Specialty in Monroe, OH, eating prime rib I slipped her under the table at dinner and thoroughly enjoying herself as the royal she was.
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| My friend Louise grooming Lacy |
We never know what life holds in store for any of us. I know this is not an original statement, but having dogs reminds us of the fragility of living things, and to remember to focus in the present. I've always loved how dogs live "in the moment" and can feel joy in their daily lives. I might not appreciate it all the time, as when they've rolled in something particularly dead and smelly, but their obvious pride still brings a smile to my face. As they age, most of them (my dog Coach, excluded) seem to accept their physical limitations with a grace and dignity that I hope to be able to do half as well when my time comes. They take much, but they give back as well. Being able to cooperate and communicate with another species is a magical gift and one I suspect they do much better from their end then we do from ours.
After they are gone, we're left with some ribbons, memories, pictures, an empty collar. Not much to show for a lifetime of experiences, but the internal essence of what they were and our relationship to them, while not visible from the outside, remains with us inside. Our doggy friends sympathize, non-doggy people look bewildered and the more insensitive ones murmur "It's just a dog," or words to that effect. Yes,it is just a dog, but to those who know, that in itself speaks volumes. Just a dog....but one who was loved and knew it, that is our gift to them, and one the special ones give back to us.
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Dicey Jane
Sunrise 8/19/02--S
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