A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog
This is one of my absolutely favorite dog pics!

The handsome little chap, complete in his Lord Faunterloy suit, is my maternal grandfather. He was born in 1896, so I am judging this photo was taken about the turn of the century, which fits in with when this style of dress was still popular. Lucky for him, he did not have to wear the curls that were popular for boys then. I have photos of my other grandfather, in similar dress, but complete with "girly" curls.

I don't know much about the dog...like if he had a name or was a beloved pet, or only a photo prop. I love the touch with the cap in the dog's mouth. I will have to see what I can learn from my mom about this photo. I don't know if my grandpa always kept dogs, but I know he had great compassion for his final companion after my grandma passed. He had a little guy named Chico. I can't remember what breed it was; it was during those years when I was self absorbed (you know: the teen years). One night, while out doing his thing, he ran out and was hit by a car. Grandpa was living at his cabin on Little Mantrap Lake near Park Rapids at the time. I am surprised there was enough traffic on that little dirt road to be a danger. At the time, I never fully understood how deep a relationship could be formed with an animal, but my Grandpa was deeply affected by the loss.

I witnessed the same type of dedicated attention when my sister had her first Corgi. She adored Fiona. When it came time for Fiona's spaying, my sister had no inkling of what was in store. Fiona never recovered from the anesthesia. My sister took a long time to recover and donated all of Fiona's supplies, kennel, toys...everything, to the humane society. Eventually, despite her previous reservations, she became owner to another Corgi, Schatzi. Another dog that was pampered and often visited by a neighborhood "mutt," Woody. When the neighbors decided not to keep Woody after their son moved off to college, they offered him to my sister. My brother-in-law insisted they could not have another dog...no time, etc. The dog was taken to a shelter. Missing Woody's daily visits to Shatzi, my sister & her hubby began visiting Woody at the shelter, and next thing you know, my brother-in-law is adopting the dog they could have had for free. ;-) Woody was one of the nicest dogs you'd ever want around: gentle, playful, loyal. He must have got the best traits of all of his mixed breeding. I have great memories of our visits with them, especially when we visited in Europe. Dogs go everywhere there; even to restaurants, where they are often offered a water dish & treats, as they sit under the table while you dine. This past September, Woody was let out for his nightly jaunt through the woods in a very rural area of southwest Wisconsin. Sometimes he would lay chase on some small varmint in the woods. Long story short, he ended up a long way away at the highway, where he was hit and killed. My sister has beaten herself up over this turn of events and truly continues to mourn his loss.

Another sister just experienced a similar fate when she let her dog out to relieve himself, in a very rural area, and he just disappeared. Having lost another dog previously, she says she is done with dogs (we'll see). It is too hard to handle losing a pet.

I have two wonderful dachshunds, both rescued, one from a shelter, and one purchased from a neglectful owner. They have become such a big part of our lives. Every member of the family has deep affection for these dogs, which has been a great focus for us. I can't imagine how I will handle it when I must some day face their end days.

Knowing how important these companions are to so many, it bothers me deeply when I hear stories of abandoned or tortured dogs. Recently, a hunter discovered a mother dog and her ten pups, left to starve in an abandoned farm house. Five of the pups did not survive. The mother and the other pups were emaciated and are healing at the Tri-County Humane Society (St. Cloud). In another case, a morbidly obese border collie was found frozen to a sidewalk in Wisconsin. The owner is being charged with neglect.

Please people...do not get pets if you can't take care of them or don't intend to keep them forever! To those thinking of getting the kids a puppy for Christmas, remember, they aren't forever a cuddly puppy: they do grow up and they are a huge responsibility. Make sure your kids (or yourself) are ready for the responsibility, because a pet should have the committment of their owner for life! As Farside suggested in an earlier blog, it is better to wait until summer for adopting a pet, when children are out of school and have more free time to develop the habits of daily cares and attention. There is a lot of benefit for children learning that resposibility, but it needs to be well timed.

If you do get a dog, please look to adopt one from a shelter, as there are always many waiting for a happy home. And if you are one of those, thinking of giving up on your companion, simply put...How could you?