Good Dog
On Christmas Eve, we lost one of our beloved family pets, Rocky.
A big dog with reddish-blond, course hair and a heart as big as the sky, he will always be remembered for his love and devotion to his family.
My daughter and son-in-law, Jen and Luke, adopted Rocky from the New Haven dog pound about 15 years ago when they were just a young and carefree couple, years before they were married. But Rocky made them a family right away. In his later years, he was slow and feeble but in his younger days he was a force to be reckoned with.
On one of his first days home alone, Jen and Luke left him at Luke’s parents’ beach cottage – he tore the curtains off the windows and broke through a screen door and generally tore the place up. He had some adjusting to do.
A few years later, when Jen and Luke wanted a canine companion for Rocky, Luke brought Rocky to the pound with him to make sure that the new dog and Rocky would get along. Luke was checking out the dogs and Rocky actually lifted up his leg and peed on Luke. I think it is easy to figure out what was going on in his little brain. “This is my person, This is my Dad” I know we tend to project human emotions onto pets but, really, something was going on there. Casey came home with them that day and now he is bereft and misses Rocky as much as we do.
In his hay day, Rocky loved his Kong. A red, rubber thing, he would carry it around in his mouth, nudging your hand and head-butting you until you took the slimy thing out of his mouth and tossed it as far away as you could. In two seconds flat, he was back at your side, ready for another round. He never tired of chasing it and with his sweet, brown eyes looking up at you, it was hard to resist obliging him.
Before Jen and Luke had kids and all the kid accessories that literally fill up an entire SUV, Rocky would always come to visit me. He loved Narragansett Beach and would run and swim in the surf, if it was not too cold. He was always welcome at my house.
Rock-Star had a great life. Acres to run around on, with an invisible fence that even extended into a woodsy area, he had the time of his life protecting his family, playing and chasing squirrels and chipmunks. When you saw him barking at a stone wall, you knew some little chipmunk was in there teasing him, just out of reach.
And so although we are heartbroken, we are lifted up by the big love he unfailingly gave us. You are part of our family, Rocky, and always will be.
Good dog, Rocky. Good dog.
A big dog with reddish-blond, course hair and a heart as big as the sky, he will always be remembered for his love and devotion to his family.
My daughter and son-in-law, Jen and Luke, adopted Rocky from the New Haven dog pound about 15 years ago when they were just a young and carefree couple, years before they were married. But Rocky made them a family right away. In his later years, he was slow and feeble but in his younger days he was a force to be reckoned with.
On one of his first days home alone, Jen and Luke left him at Luke’s parents’ beach cottage – he tore the curtains off the windows and broke through a screen door and generally tore the place up. He had some adjusting to do.
A few years later, when Jen and Luke wanted a canine companion for Rocky, Luke brought Rocky to the pound with him to make sure that the new dog and Rocky would get along. Luke was checking out the dogs and Rocky actually lifted up his leg and peed on Luke. I think it is easy to figure out what was going on in his little brain. “This is my person, This is my Dad” I know we tend to project human emotions onto pets but, really, something was going on there. Casey came home with them that day and now he is bereft and misses Rocky as much as we do.
In his hay day, Rocky loved his Kong. A red, rubber thing, he would carry it around in his mouth, nudging your hand and head-butting you until you took the slimy thing out of his mouth and tossed it as far away as you could. In two seconds flat, he was back at your side, ready for another round. He never tired of chasing it and with his sweet, brown eyes looking up at you, it was hard to resist obliging him.
Before Jen and Luke had kids and all the kid accessories that literally fill up an entire SUV, Rocky would always come to visit me. He loved Narragansett Beach and would run and swim in the surf, if it was not too cold. He was always welcome at my house.
Rock-Star had a great life. Acres to run around on, with an invisible fence that even extended into a woodsy area, he had the time of his life protecting his family, playing and chasing squirrels and chipmunks. When you saw him barking at a stone wall, you knew some little chipmunk was in there teasing him, just out of reach.
And so although we are heartbroken, we are lifted up by the big love he unfailingly gave us. You are part of our family, Rocky, and always will be.
Good dog, Rocky. Good dog.
Labels: Susan Gustavson
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at
4:56 PM
2 Comments:
I have met Rocky on a few occasions and he was just as you described him. He was big, he was handsome in his dog way, friendly to all and always willing to play. I know he will be missed and it was nice to remember him as you have written.
As a fellow dog lover, I hope that Rocky finds his heaven in the big dog park in the sky....Plenty of bones, fire hydrants, green grass to romp in and NO CATS!
Thanks,
Allie
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