Posted on 02/01/2010 8:20:42 PM PST by kanawa
Not long before his death, Harry and I headed out for a walk that proved eventful.
He was nearly 13, old for a big dog.
Walks were no longer the slap-happy Iditarods of his youth, frenzies of purposeless pulling
in which we would cast madly off in all directions, fighting for command.
Nor were they the exuberant archaeological expeditions of his middle years,
when every other tree or hydrant or blade of grass held tantalizing secrets about his neighbors.
In his old age, Harry had transformed his walk into a simple process of elimination—a dutiful, utilitarian, head-down trudge.
When finished, he would shuffle home to his ratty old bed,
which graced our living room because Harry could no longer ascend the stairs.
On these walks, Harry seemed oblivious to his surroundings,
absorbed in the arduous responsibility of placing foot before foot before foot before foot.
But this time, on the edge of a small urban park, he stopped to watch something.
A man was throwing a Frisbee to his dog.
The dog, about Harry’s size, was tracking the flight expertly, as Harry had once done,
anticipating hooks and slices by watching the pitch and roll and yaw of the disc, as Harry had done,
then catching it with a joyful, punctuating leap, as Harry had once done, too.
Harry sat.
For 10 minutes, he watched the fling and catch, fling and catch,
his face contented, his eyes alight, his tail a-twitch.
Our walk home was almost … jaunty.
~~~
...it is not until a dog gets old that his most important virtues ripen and coalesce.
Old dogs can be cloudy-eyed and grouchy, gray of muzzle,
graceless of gait, odd of habit, hard of hearing, pimply, wheezy, lazy, and lumpy.
But to anyone who has ever known an old dog, these flaws are of little consequence.
Old dogs are vulnerable. They show exorbitant gratitude and limitless trust.
They are without artifice. They are funny in new and unexpected ways.
But, above all, they seem at peace.
~excerpt~
Woof
How sweet!! I’ll have to check this book out...Looks like a tear-jerker. Thanks for the post!
Exactly....
WOOF!!!
old dog ping
Reading stuff like this is apt to start the waterworks. I enjoyed it. Why are their lives so short, it’s not fair.
I just got a five-year-old - not sure if she’s a very large sheltie or a very small collie, but man, the energy...I’m designing a dog-powered snowplow for the next storm.
I’m missing my sweet old dog, Maple, now. Dogs are true blessings from beginning to end.
Tom T Hall: Watermelon Wine
WOOF WOOF
Still miss old Blaze, Grizzly, Shadow I, Shadow II, Argent, Kang, and Baron.
They live in my heart forever.
Old dogs are good ole dogs.
They truly are a blessing, I have a puppy that will turn 16 in April. My wife tells me I pamper her. But, for 16 years this dog has given me so much affection and joy. The exert from the book was spot on, but it is the unguestioned loyalty that makes our relationships with dogs special. The head on my lap, and every morning she still gets between me and my footwear as if to keep me from leaving. Millie is medium sized, can’t climb on couch, so sometimes, I lay on the floor with her. Wife thinks I am weird. But, it’s that very special, honest and affectionate relationship that make them a blessing.
Toby, Maury, Blue, Cricket, Bear, Kay and Jana von Frolich.
I don’t know if I’ll get another...dunno if my heart can take another loss.
A great read for anyoone with a dog that is approaching their twilight years or who has recently lost one is “Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates” by Gary Kurz.
Now I would not agree with all the asumptions he has in his book but he does present a pretty good case that we will be with our pets again in Heaven if that is what we wish for. For Heaven will not lack one thing that will bring us joy.
From the author:
“There are no words that can fill the emptiness we feel with the loss of a precious companion pet. Their unconditional love and devotion are missed as much as their splendid and unique personality. But we can replace the grief with joyful anticipation and hope, if we understand that there is a plan for them. The words of this book are offered to guide you to that place. You may begin reading as a skeptic, but you will end with a newfound hope and a lot of important things to think about.”
Gary Kurz, Author
Lost a good old beagle mix, Houston, a month ago to mouth cancer. He had a miserable last 2 months but he kept insisting on going for a walk each day, and would still bark at the young terrier who’d dare to come too close to his food bowl. Finally one day it was definitely time.
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