We kept him and named him Woof.
I'm not much of a dog person myself. Steve was probably his best friend. But he stayed here with me and Josh when Steve left. He didn't get the loving attention he used to get but he remained loyal. And he cheerfully barked to tell me good-bye everyday when I left for work running along beside me for a ways and he was always there to meet me when I came home generally lying in the driveway.
He has always been a "scaredy-cat". He is the kind of guard dog that backs up even as he is barking at whoever was invading our territory. He came to us very, very much afraid of gun shots, fireworks, and lightening. He's an outside dog, but when those events took place he'd nearly break the door down to get in. We'd let him take shelter in our back entry until the noise stopped.
Woof is very old now. I think he has been headed "home" for awhile. Last night when Josh came home and pulled into his usual parking place on the patio, Woof didn't offer to move out of his way. That is NOT like him. He might move slower now, but he'd always get up and move.
This morning when I looked at him as I was walking to the car leaving for work, his eyes looked "odd"--kinda puffy. Josh called me before he left for work asking if I saw him. He too thinks he is dying.
When I came home, he was in the same spot I left him in, his food untouched. I put it closer to him and tucked several pieces of fleece around him and a rug. (It's SO COLD.) He didn't even "smile".
Probably he will be crossing over soon.
We love you Woof.
You've been a good dog.
2/14/2007 10:50 PM
When I came home from church (10:45 because I had church cleaning), the life had gone out of him.
He had managed to eat all of the food from his dish. He was still under the covers I put over him, but instead of holding his head up like he had been all day, he was was lying flat.
I picked up one foot and it dropped limply back to the patio.
Tomorrow I'll be digging a grave.
