Wednesday - April 16, 2008

The best dog I ever had is dead

 Joey was the best dog I ever had.  Period.  Just after my wife & I got married, we bought a house in the Shandon area of Columbia.  There was a park not far from the house.  We went to the park one day & there was this dog running around greeting everyone.  he was very sweet & very friendly. 

*****

Anyhow, he started following us (he knew a sucker when he saw one!) around the park.  My wife kept asking everyone in her inimitable way if the dog belonged to them. I guess she could see it in my eyes that I thought it might not be a bad thing to take him home with us.

*****

Except it probably *was* a bad idea.  We already had the cocker spaniel (Kira) from my college days as well as another cocker (my wife was always particular - still is, I guess) that was an "english" cocker spaniel... I'm not sure what that means.  Anyhow, we already had two dogs... but something about Joey made me need to take him home with me.  After all he was following me back from the park - across a very busy street.... so, of course, I had to pick him up and carry him across the street.... so he wouldn't get hit by a car, you see.... So I carried him home & he stayed in the backyard for a day or so while I put up signs (okay, maybe *a* sign) around the area of the park.  The next day I went to the bookstore & got a book called "Training Your Second-Hand Dog" or something like that.  The book suggested that dogs like a "cave" of sorts to sleep in - sort of a "my personal space" type of thing.  

So I then went to the pet store & got him a metal "crate" for him to sleep in.  He always loved that thing.

*****

He had MANY adventures in his long life.  He lived to be 15 years old.... that's very good for a dog his size.  By the time he died, he only weighed about 60 pounds... but in his prime he might have been up to 80 or 85 pounds.  He LOVED to lick.  His favorite place to lick, actually, was right on your face.  The closer to your lips, the better for him.  He always did his best to get his tongue into your mouth.  He was very quick about it, so he managed to do it more often than not.  On the day I had to take him to be put down, he wanted to lick me - so I let him lick me for as long as he wanted.

*****

One of the best (or worst) stories about Joey was when he broke his neck.  My wife and I were at the park again (we had a son by this point) & she was playing with our son on the slide.  he must have been 18 months old or so.  Anyhow, he bounced off the slide & broke his arm... not too badly... but it was broken alright.... Anyhow, about a week or so later, we took our son for a walk & left all the dogs at home.  Well.... Joey desperately wanted to go with us, so he climbed the fence & came after us.  Of course, we had no idea.... anyhow, as he was crossing that busy street that I had carried him across when we got him, he got hit by a UPS truck.  Amazingly, a neighbor of ours worked at an emergency vet clinic.  Joey was pretty much in shock & when we got home, the neighbor had him in our yard waiting for us.  She took him to work with her (I followed) & got him fixed up. Turned out he had broken his neck (!) - we got a cast on it & he had to wear it for maybe 6 months or so.  He hated it & of course the other dogs looked at him funny and made fun of him (in their own little doggie way).  I can't find the picture now (I don't think it's digitized), but we have a picture of our son with Joey both wearing their casts.  He was never really able to play as rough as he used to after that... but it was fine.  He couldn't really jump up anymore... we had to be careful about his back.

*****

Over the course of the last few years, he developed to growths over various parts of his body.  They were probably cancerous, but the didn't seem to affect him... there wouldn't have been much we could have done about it.  The vet just said to sort of live with them & see how it affected him.  It never really did, so we never considered putting him down.  Over the last few days, though, his back legs just finally gave out.  He tried *so* hard to get up and walk and play.... but he just couldn't.  The last two days, he would get his legs caught up underneath him and yelp and whimper in pain.  I just couldn't bear that - to hear & see him suffer.  So my wife asked me to come over to her house to see him and to get my opinion about what to do.  It was fairly obvious that it was time to do it... but she just couldn't really deal with it emotionally (go figure...).  I told her that I would take him, so I did.

*****

On the way to the vet, I kept trying to talk to him ... tell him he was a good boy & that I loved him.  But everytime I tried to say something, I got choked up and cried.  So I gave up.  I had to carry him into the vet's & hold him while they found a room.  They had gotten crazy busy right before I brought him in, so we ended up in the back "grooming room".  Neither of us minded so much.  We waited for the vet's assistant to come give him a sedative shot.  He just fought and fought to stay awake.  He really loved being alive!  Eventually he went to sleep & the vet came in a bit later to give him the shot that would stop his heart.  When she gave him that shot, he fought against dying, too.  Eventually his heart stopped, but the vet said that he might take a few last breaths.  he ended up staying alive a few more minutes trying to breathe.  I kept telling him I loved him & that he was a good boy.... and kissing him on his cheek.  The last time I leaned over to kiss him, he went.  At least that's how I'm going to remember him.  Even when you know it's time - and you know it's in the best interests of the dog to not be miserable... it's still hard.  You're never *really* ready to let go.  I loved that dog... and God knows he loved me.  He loved everybody.  I can't remember a time that he wasn't happy.