My Good Dog

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My good dog chased one bear too many on our behalf and pulled his ACL (a crucial ligament of the ā€˜kneeā€™) bringing a halt to our favorite pastimeā€”discovering new trails together.

That was almost 8 weeks ago, enough time to weigh options, fortify resolve and make the dreaded appointment with death.  I had always wondered how heā€™d go but had hoped it wouldnā€™t have to be at my hand. But here we were with the choice of continuing on in pain with never another care-fee walk, or choosing death.  And the decision was mine as his caretaker, and now, undertaker.

Decisions.  My dad used to be the one to deal with these things, protecting us kids from such harsh realities.  He hated to do it.  I cried.  But now roles are reversed.  Dad scarcely makes a decision for himself.  His life is managed by others.  Protest is futile.  And I am cast in the role of making hard decisionsā€”must be a grown-up thingā€”an evidence of maturity (and sanity?)

Well, but enough of philosophizing.  For this post I will indulge in some fond memories of a good dog now laid to rest where willows weepā€¦

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He was always a sport (once all the squirrels had been chased) to patiently sit as sentinel on any given scenic bluff while I mused or ā€˜cat nappedā€™ā€¦

I remember the dusky summer evening up Scout when he detoured a bear looming big and oh so black in the narrow homeward path– while my heart raced and time stood stillā€¦

ā€¦and the charging St.Bernard that turned tail in surprise and fled for home when Louie was unleashed!

He fetched sticks as if it were a serious profession, looking the part of a police dog in action; no game this!

But never quite mastered swimming without getting water in his earsā€”he hated thatā€”but loved to hike down to the lake and plunge into the icy water to retrieve driftwood.  If I sent him in over his head too many times, the wood was his to keep; game over.

Bringing his ā€˜bucketā€™ at dinnertime on command –ā€œGo get your bucket’ā€ā€”was a favorite trick that Bethany taught him and always made him look so clever.

One time overhearing me exclaim, ā€˜What is it, Louis?!ā€™ as I was reading aloud to the kids about Louis Braille, he jumped up barking in fierce readiness to avenge me of any perceived threatsā€¦

ā€œBEAR!ā€ and ā€œCatā€ and unfortunately ā€œGo Home!ā€ were other serious signal words he rarely failed to catch whether addressed to him or not.

And of course, the ā€œWā€ word, as we came to call itā€”no word could call forth such animated tail wagging, eager whining (Jim hated that) and prancing.  It was his favorite pastime, always in hopes of trying a new trail.  ā€œWALKā€s are what he lived for.

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louieLittleSliammon2006upscoutlouie2

But now no more.

Iā€™ll miss them.

–LS

When they were youngā€¦
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2004coolpixSarah with L2004me and my dog

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8 thoughts on “My Good Dog

  1. Oh Linda I am so sorry to hear about Louis, he was a good dog. I am so glad that we had a chance to know him and to spend time with him. We loved his "visits" to our house.
    -Dan and Deb

  2. Dear Linda,
    Your companion, your trail mate, your protector in the face of danger in the wild. Louis leave a big hole in your world for sure which is a significant loss. Dogs are so loyal. We are so happy to have met Louis in June; he greeted us with a family-like welcome and enthusiasm. He was a "good dog" indeed. You were a good mom to do the humane thing, to chose that he no longer suffer. We're relieved with you that he is no longer in pain. God's comfort to you and ours, from across the mile. With love, Paula & Scott

  3. Yes, Debby he loved your place too! Funny, he still wanted to turn aside there to visit right up until our last walk around the block recently!

  4. This is sad news, Linda. It's so good, though, that you're remembering with gratitude the good years you had with him. I remember when you first got him – we happened to be visiting – and you were training him to stay out of the kitchen by lining up a bunch of chairs …remember that?

  5. O Lindy–so sorry to hear about your dog! They are family, aren't they? Louis sounds like such a special dog. Your photos are beautiful! We were thinking about getting a German shepherd puppy when Boon came to us. He's a yellow lab, and a wonderful dog too–my faithful companion on all the dark days when I have to stay inside out of the light.

  6. We miss Louie and his friends the spaniels miss his big smiling face and bent ear…..I will miss his breathy face peering at my lunch on walks…..and his protective presence when we wonder about wild beasts! I see a reflection of God in dogs, more than in most creatures! Rest well Louie…..

  7. We miss Louie and his friends the spaniels miss his big smiling face and bent ear…..I will miss his breathy face peering at my lunch on walks…..and his protective presence when we wonder about wild beasts! I see a reflection of God in dogs, more than in most creatures! Rest well Louie…..

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