1 post tagged “john”

Let's see ... it's been bad and good and sad and hectic and busy and grindingly mundane at times.

First off, we put Tucker down yesterday and anyone who has ever had to do that knows how hard it is.  The fact is, he lived an incredibly long life for such a large dog but that did not make it one iota easier as he quickly deteriorated this past week.  It's been a rough few months but that was nothing compared to the downhill rush that commenced once we made the drive back here to Detroit last week.  Poor dear, he just wore out and my heart just ached for John.  The thing is, when you own a dog you've made an agreement that at some point in the hopefully distant future you're going to help your buddy die.  Fact is, it's likely that you're going to have make the decision to have him killed.  Harsh, but that's how it always feels to me and I am not typically sentimental about my animals.

They're animals, when all is said and done but oh my, what wonderful animals they can be.  If you've ever been loved by a dog then you know what I'm trying to say.  Noone, and I do mean nobody, not even your child or lover, is ever going to express such sheer and exuberant joy at your walking in the door.  Doesn't matter if you've been gone an hour or a hundred hours, it's all "good GOD I love you and I missed you and how are you and do  you wanna play and look! here's this toy and let's just have a good sniff of you and GOD you smell wonderful!!!!!"  You can stink like old cheese and they'll only be that much giddier at your sharing that with them.   Your hair and makeup doesn't register, unless they realise you're dressing up to go out! and then you just have let them know whether they're going along or not.

I used to say that boyfriends should be treated like a good dog but I'll admit to having loved my dogs a bit better, at times.  I certainly had dogs that were more faithful than a few of the boyfriends.

The point is, when you love a creature that much you're bound for heartbreak when it comes time to end it.  And you always have to end it, because you're usually going to outlive your dog.  This was John's first breakup with a dog and while he thought he was ready and though it was plainly time to, we know that it's next to impossible to be ready.  He did good though, they both did.  I didn't love Tucker but I wasn't going to let John do this by himself.

I'll spare us all the minutiae.  It wasn't awful but it was so hard and I know that John's going to miss that big goofy dog smile for a long time.