Life I Miss My Dog - Page 5

FAX · 12-13-2012, 11:24 AM

I had this awesome dog named Mack who was part something and part Chow. I met him in my office building one day. He was a hobo puppy that the girls who owned the advertising agency next door found somewhere and rescued by bringing him to their office. I was walking down the hall one day and he was staring at me through their glass door. He looked like a tiny, friendly, miniature bear. I introduced myself and he seemed to think I was okay. I later mentioned this encounter to the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX and the next day she came sauntering into my office with the dog, a brand new leash, and a half-dozen or so milk bone biscuits.

Mack kept me around for about 10 years, I guess. Several years ago, he contracted thyroid cancer. He went through surgery okay and got better for a year or so, then he finally just succumbed to the disease ... couldn't eat, couldn't poop properly, in obvious pain ... after one particularly rough episode, I took him to the vet so he could get some relief. Bad day.

After that, I swore that Mack would be the last dog I would ever own. I suppose I got sort of attached to the little fella. Frankly, he was an awesome assistant. He helped me dig in the garden, rake leaves, and kept me company at the office. He was good with a frisbee and stick and ball and finding creative ways to escape the radio fence because he also liked the ladies. To be honest, I think if he had been trained properly, he would have made a fantastic circus dog ... the kind that walks on barrels and jumps through flaming circles and stuff. He was extraordinarily intelligent, nimble, and fleet of foot as many a dead squirrel can attest (if, of course, it were possible for dead squirrels to attest to much of anything ... besides, I'm not sure you can trust anything a squirrel says ... dead or otherwise).

He was independent, though. He had a mind of his own and his own way of doing things. I suppose that was a result of living on the streets as a young dog. He came up the hard way and developed survival skills out of necessity. It was pretty clear that he could live on squirrels and garbage if he needed to. He wouldn't have smelled all that great, but he would have been happy.

Anyhow, I caught myself sitting here in my home office just kind of staring at the space on the floor where he used to keep his rug and I suddenly realized how much I miss him. As I mentioned, I made a pretty firm declaration that I wasn't going to get another dog after Mack on account of the separation anxiety I experienced when leaving the vet's office on that last day. But now I think I'm changing my mind about that. Dogs are pretty cool ... if you can find the right one. Maybe I'll head down to the pound later this week.

FAX THE SENTIMENTAL

AirForceChief · 12-14-2012, 04:41 PM

I recall making the same "no more dogs for me" pledge the day I had to put down both of our Poms on the same day. I made it to my car before having the obligatory melt down. Missed those dogs terribly. They were excellent family. The wife and daughter began pressuring me to get a dog about two years later. I was all, "screw that, you didn't have to put them down." About two years after that, I acquiesced and we adopted two mutts from the local rescue effort. There's something about a dog that completes my home. Plus, they love hanging with me when the wife and daughter arn't so inclined. Just took me awhile to be ready to commit.

P.S. - I hate squirrels. Long live those who fight in the war against those rats with good PR (i.e., fluffy tails).

12-13-2012, 11:24 AM
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	I Miss My Dog I had this awesome dog named Mack who was part something and part Chow. I met him in my office building one day. He was a hobo puppy that the girls who owned the advertising agency next door found somewhere and rescued by bringing him to their office. I was walking down the hall one day and he was staring at me through their glass door. He looked like a tiny, friendly, miniature bear. I introduced myself and he seemed to think I was okay. I later mentioned this encounter to the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX and the next day she came sauntering into my office with the dog, a brand new leash, and a half-dozen or so milk bone biscuits. Mack kept me around for about 10 years, I guess. Several years ago, he contracted thyroid cancer. He went through surgery okay and got better for a year or so, then he finally just succumbed to the disease ... couldn't eat, couldn't poop properly, in obvious pain ... after one particularly rough episode, I took him to the vet so he could get some relief. Bad day. After that, I swore that Mack would be the last dog I would ever own. I suppose I got sort of attached to the little fella. Frankly, he was an awesome assistant. He helped me dig in the garden, rake leaves, and kept me company at the office. He was good with a frisbee and stick and ball and finding creative ways to escape the radio fence because he also liked the ladies. To be honest, I think if he had been trained properly, he would have made a fantastic circus dog ... the kind that walks on barrels and jumps through flaming circles and stuff. He was extraordinarily intelligent, nimble, and fleet of foot as many a dead squirrel can attest (if, of course, it were possible for dead squirrels to attest to much of anything ... besides, I'm not sure you can trust anything a squirrel says ... dead or otherwise). He was independent, though. He had a mind of his own and his own way of doing things. I suppose that was a result of living on the streets as a young dog. He came up the hard way and developed survival skills out of necessity. It was pretty clear that he could live on squirrels and garbage if he needed to. He wouldn't have smelled all that great, but he would have been happy. Anyhow, I caught myself sitting here in my home office just kind of staring at the space on the floor where he used to keep his rug and I suddenly realized how much I miss him. As I mentioned, I made a pretty firm declaration that I wasn't going to get another dog after Mack on account of the separation anxiety I experienced when leaving the vet's office on that last day. But now I think I'm changing my mind about that. Dogs are pretty cool ... if you can find the right one. Maybe I'll head down to the pound later this week. FAX THE SENTIMENTAL
Posts: 44,492

12-14-2012, 04:41 PM	#61
AirForceChief Thread Killer Extraordinaire Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Monument, Co Casino cash: $10004930	I recall making the same "no more dogs for me" pledge the day I had to put down both of our Poms on the same day. I made it to my car before having the obligatory melt down. Missed those dogs terribly. They were excellent family. The wife and daughter began pressuring me to get a dog about two years later. I was all, "screw that, you didn't have to put them down." About two years after that, I acquiesced and we adopted two mutts from the local rescue effort. There's something about a dog that completes my home. Plus, they love hanging with me when the wife and daughter arn't so inclined. Just took me awhile to be ready to commit. P.S. - I hate squirrels. Long live those who fight in the war against those rats with good PR (i.e., fluffy tails). __________________ John Stuart Mill: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
Posts: 1,855