In Memory Of Max..... A Really Great Dog
Caution: Possible Tearjerker Ahead
My Dog Max passed away a few weeks ago. I had already decided to write a tribute to him, but it's taken me this long to pull myself together enough to do it. If you are a long time reader of SOL, you know that my 2 dogs, Julie and Max have "starred" frequently in my stories. Needless to say, I miss him very much already.
It was Cancer. Leukemia, and the worst kind. By the time it was diagnosed, it was already too late. He was "Stage 4", which means that it had already migrated into his bone marrow, along with an enlarged liver, spleen, and labored breathing. The Oncology Specialist I took him to for the 2nd opinion, said that if I wanted to, they would need to start "Aggressive Chemical Chemotherapy" AND Radiation. The best case prognosis..... 8 additional months, worst case..... 3 Months, or if I did nothing..... 1 week, and in either of the first 2 options, it would be expensive. Yeah..... As if I FREEKIN CARE about the money. I don't.
The ONLY thing I cared about was by baby. The side effects of Canine Chemo/Radiation, are pretty much the same as humans. Weakness, nausea, hair fallout, etc etc etc. Sure, it would have given him some small additional life, but what kind of life is that? So, although it really...... really..... broke my heart, I decided to let him go peacefully. He passed away painlessly, in my arms, which is the way I believe that he would have wanted it. So, in honor of Max, I give you, some of the happier moments that we had, in his short, but wonderful life......
I didn't know which of the 6 puppies in the 7 week old litter to pick. They were ALL very cute, and appeared to be happy dogs, so how is a person supposed to decide? Turns out I didn't choose, I was chosen. I was sitting on the floor, and while most of the puppies were jumping around like maniacs, there was one who was sort of sitting in the middle of the fray, looking around at the other 5 like they were nuts or something. Then "He" came over to me, sniffed around my legs for a little while, then crawled into my lap, curled up, and went to sleep. Just like he "belonged there". Done deal. On the way home, I had the "brilliant idea" to keep "him" in a box on the passenger seat. Well, he had a different idea. Just as I pulled away from the curb, he began yapping and barking his head off, while trying his best to climb out of the box, and failing that, was trying to chew the top edge of the box off to "escape". I had to pull over, and the only way that I could get him to settle down, was to let him ride the rest of the way home in my lap. He promptly rewarded me on the way home, by peeing on me.
I was apprehensive about his introduction to my other Springer Spaniel "Julie", who was by that time, 1.5 years old. So when I got home, I held Max in my hands, which is not easy to do with a squirming puppy, and let Julie smell him all over, before I put him down on the floor. "Max" sniffed Julie a couple of times, then promptly walked over to Julies dog food bowl, and "Helped Himself" to Julies dinner. Julie looked at him, then looked at me, looked back at him, then back at me, and the message on her face was pretty clear..... "What the heck is that, and how long is it staying"?
I Should have known that Max was going to be a handful as a puppy, the day I caught him chewing on my $400.00 Panasonic Stereo Speaker Bass Cone. I was in the back bedroom, and I heard a popping noise along with the music from the living room stereo. I ran into the living room, and Max was gnawing on the center of the bass speaker cone, trying to peel it away, while Julie was laying WAY across the living room, as far away as she could get. The look on her face was, "See, it's not me doing that, nope, not me, I have nothing to do with that". She knew the rules: NO CHEWING ON THE FURNITURE INSIDE THE HOUSE. Chew on the tree branches, and dig holes in the back yard..... fine. Do the same thing inside the house, NOT FINE. I don't believe in physically hitting my dogs, but let's just say, that Max also learned this lesson that day. Although it still sounded fine, I always meant to fix that speaker cone. Now..... I don't think I will.
Of course, Julie and Max eventually became great friends, AFTER the hierarchy of our "Pack Family" was adjusted. I'm not sure if it was ever settled just who was "Dog #2" and who was "Dog #3". It seemed to be a shared power, but there was no doubt as to the family unity. It was best observed by "The Fight At The Dog Park". There was this Husky, that wanted to demonstrate his "dominance" over Max, in the way that dogs do (if you catch my drift). Max didn't like it, and so I went over and pushed the husky away. Well, that pissed off the huskies owner, so we got into an argument. My position: "You better control your Dog, because mine doesn't seem to like what yours is doing". His position: "Screw you, that's what dogs do". So, naturally since the huskies owner didn't give a crap, the Husky did it again, only this time it was JULIE who came out of nowhere, growling and barking, and a 2 on 1 Dog Fight ensued. It only lasted a few seconds, before the owners intervened, and of course NOW the Husky Owner was pissed off. My response: "Your dog jumped on mine, and BOTH of my dogs didn't like that, so your dog got bit. THAT'S WHAT DOGS DO TOO". During the second heated argument, both Julie and Max, started growling at the huskies owner, probably due to the tone of "daddy's voice" towards him. Needless to say, things cooled off quickly, and there was no further "trouble" from either the Husky, or it's so called, owner.
Max was kind of a bully, strong willed, and defiant, but no matter how big and bad you THINK you are, it's wise to remember, there's ALWAYS somebody whose bigger and badder. Max met his match, when he met up with..... The Goose. Ya see, I use to take the dogs to this man made stream, that ran through one of the nearby housing complexes. They loved to run up and down the stream, and even occasionally take a dunk in the stream. That's why I always brought towels. Anyway, one day, there was this flock of geese there, and naturally, Max's curiosity got the best of him, and he strayed too close to a mommy goose, and her goslings. Max was just curious, but he should have heeded the squawking from mommy goose to stay away. Instead, he had to bark back, and "challenge" mommy goose. For his effort, he got nipped in the leg. MAN, I never heard Max "scream" before, or since, and he took off running so fast, it took me about 250 yds of running to catch up with him. I guess Max, and his minor cut leg learned that day, that no matter how badass you think you are, there's always somebody who's more badass then you.
I guess, what it all boils down to, is that although Max WAS very strong willed, and sometimes tried to get his way by bullying me, and those around him, in his quieter moments, he was a strong, devoted, and loving dog, that I know..... would have given his life in a heartbeat, to save either mine, or Julies, and although his life was short, and he died way too young, I know that there aren't many dogs who had such a good life, or who lived it so well. I miss you terribly Max, and I'll always Love You. Rest In Peace my friend.
My Dog Max passed away a few weeks ago. I had already decided to write a tribute to him, but it's taken me this long to pull myself together enough to do it. If you are a long time reader of SOL, you know that my 2 dogs, Julie and Max have "starred" frequently in my stories. Needless to say, I miss him very much already.
It was Cancer. Leukemia, and the worst kind. By the time it was diagnosed, it was already too late. He was "Stage 4", which means that it had already migrated into his bone marrow, along with an enlarged liver, spleen, and labored breathing. The Oncology Specialist I took him to for the 2nd opinion, said that if I wanted to, they would need to start "Aggressive Chemical Chemotherapy" AND Radiation. The best case prognosis..... 8 additional months, worst case..... 3 Months, or if I did nothing..... 1 week, and in either of the first 2 options, it would be expensive. Yeah..... As if I FREEKIN CARE about the money. I don't.
The ONLY thing I cared about was by baby. The side effects of Canine Chemo/Radiation, are pretty much the same as humans. Weakness, nausea, hair fallout, etc etc etc. Sure, it would have given him some small additional life, but what kind of life is that? So, although it really...... really..... broke my heart, I decided to let him go peacefully. He passed away painlessly, in my arms, which is the way I believe that he would have wanted it. So, in honor of Max, I give you, some of the happier moments that we had, in his short, but wonderful life......
I didn't know which of the 6 puppies in the 7 week old litter to pick. They were ALL very cute, and appeared to be happy dogs, so how is a person supposed to decide? Turns out I didn't choose, I was chosen. I was sitting on the floor, and while most of the puppies were jumping around like maniacs, there was one who was sort of sitting in the middle of the fray, looking around at the other 5 like they were nuts or something. Then "He" came over to me, sniffed around my legs for a little while, then crawled into my lap, curled up, and went to sleep. Just like he "belonged there". Done deal. On the way home, I had the "brilliant idea" to keep "him" in a box on the passenger seat. Well, he had a different idea. Just as I pulled away from the curb, he began yapping and barking his head off, while trying his best to climb out of the box, and failing that, was trying to chew the top edge of the box off to "escape". I had to pull over, and the only way that I could get him to settle down, was to let him ride the rest of the way home in my lap. He promptly rewarded me on the way home, by peeing on me.
I was apprehensive about his introduction to my other Springer Spaniel "Julie", who was by that time, 1.5 years old. So when I got home, I held Max in my hands, which is not easy to do with a squirming puppy, and let Julie smell him all over, before I put him down on the floor. "Max" sniffed Julie a couple of times, then promptly walked over to Julies dog food bowl, and "Helped Himself" to Julies dinner. Julie looked at him, then looked at me, looked back at him, then back at me, and the message on her face was pretty clear..... "What the heck is that, and how long is it staying"?
I Should have known that Max was going to be a handful as a puppy, the day I caught him chewing on my $400.00 Panasonic Stereo Speaker Bass Cone. I was in the back bedroom, and I heard a popping noise along with the music from the living room stereo. I ran into the living room, and Max was gnawing on the center of the bass speaker cone, trying to peel it away, while Julie was laying WAY across the living room, as far away as she could get. The look on her face was, "See, it's not me doing that, nope, not me, I have nothing to do with that". She knew the rules: NO CHEWING ON THE FURNITURE INSIDE THE HOUSE. Chew on the tree branches, and dig holes in the back yard..... fine. Do the same thing inside the house, NOT FINE. I don't believe in physically hitting my dogs, but let's just say, that Max also learned this lesson that day. Although it still sounded fine, I always meant to fix that speaker cone. Now..... I don't think I will.
Of course, Julie and Max eventually became great friends, AFTER the hierarchy of our "Pack Family" was adjusted. I'm not sure if it was ever settled just who was "Dog #2" and who was "Dog #3". It seemed to be a shared power, but there was no doubt as to the family unity. It was best observed by "The Fight At The Dog Park". There was this Husky, that wanted to demonstrate his "dominance" over Max, in the way that dogs do (if you catch my drift). Max didn't like it, and so I went over and pushed the husky away. Well, that pissed off the huskies owner, so we got into an argument. My position: "You better control your Dog, because mine doesn't seem to like what yours is doing". His position: "Screw you, that's what dogs do". So, naturally since the huskies owner didn't give a crap, the Husky did it again, only this time it was JULIE who came out of nowhere, growling and barking, and a 2 on 1 Dog Fight ensued. It only lasted a few seconds, before the owners intervened, and of course NOW the Husky Owner was pissed off. My response: "Your dog jumped on mine, and BOTH of my dogs didn't like that, so your dog got bit. THAT'S WHAT DOGS DO TOO". During the second heated argument, both Julie and Max, started growling at the huskies owner, probably due to the tone of "daddy's voice" towards him. Needless to say, things cooled off quickly, and there was no further "trouble" from either the Husky, or it's so called, owner.
Max was kind of a bully, strong willed, and defiant, but no matter how big and bad you THINK you are, it's wise to remember, there's ALWAYS somebody whose bigger and badder. Max met his match, when he met up with..... The Goose. Ya see, I use to take the dogs to this man made stream, that ran through one of the nearby housing complexes. They loved to run up and down the stream, and even occasionally take a dunk in the stream. That's why I always brought towels. Anyway, one day, there was this flock of geese there, and naturally, Max's curiosity got the best of him, and he strayed too close to a mommy goose, and her goslings. Max was just curious, but he should have heeded the squawking from mommy goose to stay away. Instead, he had to bark back, and "challenge" mommy goose. For his effort, he got nipped in the leg. MAN, I never heard Max "scream" before, or since, and he took off running so fast, it took me about 250 yds of running to catch up with him. I guess Max, and his minor cut leg learned that day, that no matter how badass you think you are, there's always somebody who's more badass then you.
I guess, what it all boils down to, is that although Max WAS very strong willed, and sometimes tried to get his way by bullying me, and those around him, in his quieter moments, he was a strong, devoted, and loving dog, that I know..... would have given his life in a heartbeat, to save either mine, or Julies, and although his life was short, and he died way too young, I know that there aren't many dogs who had such a good life, or who lived it so well. I miss you terribly Max, and I'll always Love You. Rest In Peace my friend.
Max 1999-2005
posted by TomH | 6:55 AM
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