This is the story of Blake. Blake came to us when KC was 2 1/2 and Elisabeth was still an infant. Rob was a middle schooler and our family was young, chaotic and full of exuberant energy. We were not supposed to get a dog that year. Our beloved Irish Setter Feargus had passed suddenly about 6 or 8 months earlier. We had decided our family needed a dog. Rob in particular needed a dog to help him process his feelings and to turn to when he could not find the words to share his thoughts. I was not really ready for another dog. Feargus was special--yes I know all dogs are special--but I had loved him fiercely and his death was so sudden and so unexpected. I also wasn't keen on housebreaking a puppy with 2 kids in diapers. We decided we were interested in Brittanys. They had the playful nature we loved about Irish but were smaller, a bit more eager to please and loved to do outdoor activities with their family. I decided I could do a waiting list. The kids would get older, at least one of them would get out of diapers, and we settled in to wait. We filled out the papers and in the mean time, we brought home a kitten as we also had an elderly cat pass on and our house despite all the kids, felt oddly empty.
While we waited, the breeder suggested we bring the kids up to meet a litter of puppies. They were all promised all ready--we were waiting for another litter, remember--but it would be good for them to see the dogs and get an idea of who would someday join our home. There was a sweet brown and white guy that we all loved. He was a "show" puppy the breeder informed us. We would get a "pet" grade puppy. We didn't care. We were enthusiastic about their friendly gentle demeanor and we were all in love.
Months passed. Unexpectedly in the fall we received a phone call. The breeder had a family return a pup to her. Due to a marital breakup they were unable to keep the puppy. We could have him if we wanted. He was a "show" puppy but at 6 months old she would sell him at her "pet" rate. If you guessed that it was the brown and white guy we met months earlier, you were right. We said yes and went up the very next day to meet him and bring him home. At 6 months, we had missed most of the housebreaking stuff and he was such a sweet and eager to please guy. The fact that we had a puppy and a kitten 2 kids under 3 and a middle schooler along with Chet and Fi on the weekends--life was fun, crazy and sometimes we wondered what we were thinking! But it worked. Blake loved snow.
He would play outside with Rob and help Chet shovel. He had boundless energy and that playful nature we read about was certainly evident. Over the years, he went on hikes with us. He went on camping trips. He played in the back yard. He met skunks several times. He became a champion chipmunk hunter (weird but true, he would stomp them to death) He liked to catch bees and I always worried because once every summer he would manage to get stung in his mouth. He was a cuddler and was patient with both kids and other animals. He was also a food thief extraordinaire. We used to joke that he had a telescoping neck because how a comparatively short dog could get a bag of hamburger buns off the far back of the kitchen counter was always a mystery. He ate more chocolate than I could ever imagine. Apparently he did not know chocolate is bad for dogs. He stole Easter baskets and Halloween treats that were not put up somewhere over 5 feet. He did not take food people were actively eating, but leave it out unattended and he would find a way to feast.
You don't realize how fast the years spin by. KC is going to be 17 this spring and Elisabeth just turned 14 in December. Rob is 24 and working full time. But every night when he gets home from work he always stops to greet the dogs. As the years went by, Blake began to slow down some. There was an issue with a knee that required a vet visit. He developed a skin allergy and got meds for that. He began to have seizures which were determined not to be epilepsy but were related to his age. He began to go blind and lost most of his hearing.
We knew the time was coming when we would have to say goodbye. We hoped for one more Christmas and we got that. We had a good Christmas and so did Blake. He lay on the couch next to Rob all morning while we opened presents, hoping someone would forget and leave a cinnamon bun where he could reach it.
But post Christmas there were more signs that he was dealing with significant pain. He never whined or complained. Maybe it is not the nature of dogs, maybe it was just not Blake's nature. We got some meds to make him comfortable and continued on. But we wanted to help him on the next step of his journey before he was totally in pain, when his goodbye could be as good as such a thing can be. It is the one gift, the hardest gift, that any pet lover can give to their loyal and beloved fur child. This past week we could tell that he needed us to make the decision. He began licking himself where his arthritis was hurting him. He could not settle easily and had trouble having the strength to do his chores outside. We made the call. Our vet is amazing. She spent 30 minutes talking on the phone to my wife. She agreed that we were not rushing things (always a worry in the back of our minds when making such a decision) and made an appointment for tonight to be his last ride.
When we arrived at the hospital, they were running late. These appointments are always their last one of the night so they asked if we could come back in 30 minutes. Blake liked rides so we drove around in the dark,petting him, looking at the lights that are still up on some houses. Blake rested down by Elisabeth's feet until suddenly he felt compelled to climb into the front seat and into my lap. 45 pounds of lap dog. It was an instant flash back to the young pup who had sat in my lap on the way home from the breeders. I stroked his head and supported his arthritic legs while he alternately looked up at me and snuffled at the window. I'm an ugly crier and there was a lot of crying periodically tonight. But Blake was not fazed. He was ready.
Only 2 of us could be with him so Elisabeth and I waited in the car and KC and my wife went in with Blake when it was time. The room for this is private and at the back of the hospital with a separate entrance. A thick cushion and comfy blankets are on the floor. They gave him a pile of dog cookies and while he scarfed them down and KC and K petted him they gave him a shot. Blake never minded the vets office and loved this vet in particular very much. K said that one minute he was eating and the next he was sleeping and then he was just gone.
There is a huge Brittany sized hole in my heart tonight. We are all grieving in our own ways. But we all are also glad that he is pain free. Be happy my Blake. You are loved and you are missed.
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