Battle of the "Grand-dogs"

This is my all-time favorite "Grand-dog," Otis, a Siberian Huskey. I have a better photo I'll post at a later date - he has his summer coat here and isn't in his full glory!

Otis talked a lot. He verbalized at you when you'd speak to him, you know - the wow-row, roar, roar, row, row - kind of dog-speak. (Okay, I flunked dog-speak, but you get the point.) He loved to run, especially when the kids would leave the front door open. After all, he was a sled dog! I was there a couple of times when he bolted so I got in my car, located him and tried to lure him into the car. Hah! He'd let me get within a couple of inches and bam! Off he'd go! Nothing is more frustrating than to track a dog who doesn't want to be caught! He'd finally give in (it was a game, after all) and one of us would lead him back home.

He was basically our son-in-law, Doug's dog. Those of you who have been with me for awhile, know that Doug passed away a couple of years ago. If you're new here, check out some of my very first posts...Suffice it to say, it was an unexpected and very painful death for all of us. Otis knew something was wrong. Dogs intuit things like that. They feel pain and sorrow just as we do, and they mourn the loss of a faithful master.

Two months after Doug's death, I received a phone call at work from my daughter. She was bereft and could hardly speak through sobs. I caught the words, "I'm at the vets," and something about "Otis has to be put down." I told her to hang on - I'd be right there. I quickly filled in my boss and took off.

Sure enough, Otis was in congestive heart failure. I couldn't believe it! The doctor informed her that he was in terrific pain and had to be euthanized. My heart sunk as I took one look at her face, at eyes that had been through so much pain and knew this was going to be tough. We took a moment to caress that sweet dog and tell him how very much we loved him and then the needle did it's job. We spent a few minutes with him - both of us were sobbing into his fur. I had missed so much work already I had to get back to the office but we stood by my car, clinging to one another, wondering why, of all times, did this have to happen! The boys had just lost their dad and now we had to tell them their dog was gone. You know, there are times in this life when I just want to quit. Enough with the pain...make it stop, especially when it's happening to your child! But you have to keep going and so you do what needs to be done.

I didn't intend for this post to become so morbid and sad. I guess I hadn't quite worked this out of my system. I may never...but I do know that I will always love dogs. I will always have a dog in my life and treasure each sloppy kiss and lick, regardless of the pain when the time comes to love them off into endless sleep.