Buddy, aka Bubba dawg, came into our lives pre-kids. I grew up with only hunting dogs, mostly German Shorthaired Pointers. I really wanted a GSP of my own now that I was an adult with my own home, and went to our family hunting dog trainer because periodically he would have a dog retiring that would need a forever home.
Lo and behold, he had a 1 year old who flunked out of hunting (and common sense) and so Buddy came home. With time everyone realized that he was mentally disabled, but that didn’t take away from who he was. He loved his balls and gnawing heavily on toys, and food and sun bathing were the loves of his life! He got along great with our black cat, Mina, but mostly because he was so unaware that he usually didn’t even notice her (she didn’t like him, but mostly because he was libel to step on her).
He was never a cuddler (to my sadness), he HATED car rides, and trimming toe nails was hard because he couldn’t balance on one of his hind legs. But when I became pregnant with my first child, he showed a side I didn’t know he had: he would purposely nap near me, and then, when our baby was born, Bubba would lay near him on the floor.
Bubba gave us a crazy, wonderful 11.5 years. The house is quiet now, no clicking of toenails across the hard floor, no mooing and groaning as he’d shift for a more comfortable spot. Ever creak I hear makes me turn to check on him, only to find an empty couch and empty sun spot. Trying to leave the house makes me feel like I forgot to let him out to potty and then kennel up.
Letting him go peacefully at the vet was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I wanted so bad to say never mind take him back home, even though I knew he was struggling with pain and weakness in his back end. But we made sure to over spoil him during his last few days. He got his very own cheeseburger happy meal, where we learned fries got him so excited his eyes bugged out! Then he got a little personal cup of vanilla ice cream (the drool puddle was epic)! And his last treat at the vet was more french fries!
We love him so much, and no other dog (not even another shorthair) can fill the Bubba-shaped hole left in our hearts!
Now he can run and chase the ball again, never be cold or wet (rain and snow were his arch-nemeses), and he always has the best sun bathing spot!!!
“And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand!” (Irish proverb)