Bliss (Baby Puppy)-1995 to 2007

Yesterday I had to put down my "baby puppy," my twelve year old Chow Chow mix; AKA: fuzzy butt, baby girl, and Bliss, the name on her records at the vet's office; but to me-most often-she was baby puppy.

She was a wonderful dog her entire life. She had not a bad bone in her body. She was a loyal friend, who would search me out just to be with me, and never missed being under me when food was in the offing.

The part that wasn't Chow was Samoyed,which resulted in a wonderful personality, fully of life, fun, and playful mischief. I will never forget when she was a three-month old, white fur ball. We had a rain that turned a flower bed into a mud hole which she found. She showed up at the back door wearing nothing but mud and a smile. She just bumped into the screen door and made a puppy sized black spot which I don't think we every got totally clean. She was more put out at my undoing all her hard work when I washed her off, than worrying about getting wet or washed.

When she was young, she had a better mouth that FSU's wide outs and tight ends have hands. She could catch a tennis ball flat out over her shoulder. She was incredibly quick physically and mentally. She was my only girl-I have three sons-and I told the boys that they should take lessons from her on how to get things out of me!

To paraphrase a hit from the past, "She was strictly a female, female-with her tail up in a curl-she was strictly a female, female who enjoyed being a girl." She loved men. Her mission in live was to bring every male human or canine who entered her orbit to do her bidding.

She would take her ball to any man who came around her and present it for them to throw for her. If you played dumb and didn't take the bait, you might be safe if it was a short visit, but if you ever threw it once, she would bring it back to you until your arm fell off. On the other hand, if you played dumb and it was a longer visit, she bring the ball to me and indicate that I should show the new guy the game.

She never begged at table when I could keep my boys from feeding her. But she would patiently wait for me to put my plate before her to be licked at the end of the meal or at lunch wait for the last bite of my sandwich, imposing the little known puppy tax.

I taught her some tricks, but she taught me much much more, most particularly what unconditional love was. If I was down or sick, she would be in the room lying there giving me comfort. As you can guess, her love was reciprocated and many of our friends commented that they wanted to come back as baby puppy.

She went blind due to retinal degeneration about five years ago which was a great loss to a dog that lived to play ball. It was incredible to watch her adapt to her disability, and learn to follow voice commands to find her way or climb stairs or curbs. I suspect that she bragged to her buds that she was the only pup in the neighborhood with two seeing-eye people.

She messed up in the house only three times in her life: twice as a puppy and once when we left her inside one evening entirely too long. (And then she picked a tile floor for the business!) Her last morning, she hobbled outside, urinated, walked to the sidewalk, stopped, looked at me with eyes that said, "I can't go any further."

I lifted her into my truck, and she did not move except to lay down. I offered her water when we reached the vet's, but she clearly refused it-something she never done before. They sedated her heavily to X-ray her, and she was diagnosed with a severely pinched nerve most probably from a disc degeneration or a tumor inside the spine. The vet confirmed she was in very severe pain which was inhibiting her use of the forelegs.

The possible surgical interventions were inappropriate for a dog of her years-the equivalent of 80 in human years. When the bad news was reported, my wife and I decided we had to give her up and give her peace. My wife joined me with our boy who is in our town, and we all said our good-byes.

I include this last part for those of you who may face this situation. The doctor had given her a deep analgesic and she was "aware but disassociative." While I lay beside her and held her, he administered a final shot into a stint, I whispered in her ear how good she was and she breathed several more breaths and then stopped. No quivers, no jerks, just a last breath and then no more.

I am crying as I write this because it hurts to be without her. I am too old to have the energy to raise another pup as good as she was, so she will not be replaced. She is certainly not forgotten, by me or my family or any of her many friends she made over the years. Requisite in pacem canis bonum.

I am sorry to hear of your loss. No matter how long we have them, we truly mourn them when they depart.

It is so sad when our faithful friends go. It sure sounds like your dog had a great life.

When you itch for another companion you might consider adopting a shelter dog, one that has been house trained already. They are lots of fun. I adopted a dog last spring under the guise of it being a pit bull cross.

He's not, he's an American Bulldog and has a ton of personality and is very smart. This is a dog that would have been put to sleep because he had a big head and looked like something else. He's afraid of toads and moose and there isn't a growl to be found in him.

Turns out he loves kids and loves playing with other dogs and anyone who will give him the time of day.

Kudude,

Our most sincere condolensces to you and your family. Very hard to lose a member of the family. Will be a difficult time.

I'm so sorry about the loss. Dogs have such an unconditional love for their owners that it just breaks your heart when something happens to them.

Sorry for your loss. My eyes, too, were not dry reading your story. I went through the same thing 2 years ago. Now I'm living with my 16yr old, blind, deaf, beagle cross.

My dad once said
God made dogs have short lives, so we can love a lot of 'em.

Get another pup; good people should always have a dog.

Walt

My condolences Kudude. Just read the story about Smokey and then this one. Its sad that dogs were not granted a longer life span.......

For those of who our children are four legged the emotions are strong indeed. My dogs ARE my kids, and a loss of a family member is indeed tough.

Ann,

I'm glad you found a new bud that will be part of your life. American Bulldogs are great dogs that will reward a kind "parent" a thousand fold.

John

Kudude,
We had to put our dog downon October 19, 07. The hardest thing I've ever had to do. 13 years old. Had him from 6 weeks old. What a joy and what a pain in the ass. we miss him like you wouldn't believe. He was a German Shepard/ Rhodesiand Ridgeback mix. Was our dog. Wouldn't tolerate any confrontation ,Playful or otherwise between me and my wife. Excellent watch dog. Personality to beat all hell. As long as we were in the the house to were family.
He had a brain tumor and othe problem and got real aggessive at the end. It was time. A few weeks later we adopdted a black lab from the Douglas Animal welfare Group in Gardnerville, Nev. What a god send. 1 year old. Very mellow and smart and learns quickly. We've had him 1 month and he is spoiled rotten and a part of the family. Hates to see me go to work every day. Tennis balls are not safe around him. Great dog.

Sorry for your loss. We know what it is like.

Tony and Momma