Dog Years

picture of Bruiser and stepson Nathan

written mid-2008

A few months ago my sister, her husband and their 3 1/2 year old son walked with my lab (Bruiser) and me to a park down the street from my home. Not long after we arrived there I noticed Bruiser was favoring his left foot/leg. He has in the past few years started to have some issues with his hind quarters. No pain that I'm aware of, but increased stiffness and very recently awkwardness on stairs.

I'm keenly aware that Bruiser's 12th birthday has just come and gone. He's an old man in dog years, and besides the grey hair that spreading at a rapid pace under his jaw, his age is starting to show in other ways. He's been in my life since he was 8 weeks old, so it's difficult to think my time with him might be nearing an end.

I remember the first time he walked into the large, fenced in backyard I had at the time. He was so tiny in comparison. Just a shiny black blob with tiny legs sniffing and exploring the wide open spaces. I can still hear the giggles of my 11 year old stepdaughter as Bruiser tugged at her waist length hair as she sat with him on the ground. When he was bigger she challenged him one winter to pull her on a sled across our back patio and he happily accomodated her.

I remember the first time he held a grouse in his mouth when he was being trained for hunting. I don't think he was more than 4 or 5 months old. I walked along during grouse and pheasant seasons as he grew older and enjoyed watching him work. He lived for it.

He would play fetch until he was so exhausted he could hardly stand.

We had a pear tree in the back yard and he would sit patiently watching it until a squirrel would knock one down. Sometimes the branches hung low enough he could pick one himself. Unfortunately he would eat pears until he was sick if he was left unattended for too long with that tree and helpful squirrels.
He loved it when I was out picking strawberries, rasberries, or even cherry tomatoes because he always knew I would be tossing him a treat. I think his favorite fruit was apples. You could not sneek a bite without him hearing, and he could smell them from yards away. He would drool in anticipation because he knew the core would be his.

My nephew used to have to cover his face when he was tail-height to Bruiser. Now he yells "he's hitting me!" as Bruiser's tail wacks him in the chest. Bruiser loves children, but unfortunately they have to get by his tail to love him.

The years have passed leaving me loads of wonderful memories, many photographed but many more in my heart.
Right now it's just him and me in my home. When I'm here he always wants to be close to me wherever I am, whether it's doing yard work or sitting at the computer or sleeping. He wants me in his sight whenever possible.
He loves everyone he meets, but yet I know he would be my protector if I was threatened.
His snoring has become one of my favorite sounds. It's calm and sweet and he just seems so content. He's at the foot of my chair now, snoring away.

I think Bruiser has had a wonderful life, and I will enjoy very much whatever time we have yet to share. I am one lucky girl.