Michael Bublé - Blue Christmas

The stockings are now up, but there are only two.  Wolfgang had a stocking with two feet (he had twice as many feet as we do, right?).  He sure loved Christmas, knowing he was going to get Puppy Loot.

Now we just have memories.  I sure miss you, buddy.

Here's a picture of his stocking last year:

 

Dad Joke CCLXXXXVIIII - Special Rum edition

A cat walks into a bar.

Bartender: What'll ya have?

Cat: Give me a shot of rum. 

Bartender fills glass, puts it on the bar in front of the cat.

Cat pushes it off the bar.

Cat: Hit me again.

It's funny because it's true.

Dad Joke CCLXXXXIIII

 Why can't dogs dance?  They have two left feet.

Ya know, I like most dogs better than I like most people

The Queen Of The World found this on Facebook.  Posted without comment.

 

Chris Stapleton - Maggie's Song

I took Wolfgang's toys to a dog shelter today.  Well, not all of them - we kept his frisbee, his blue stuffed animal, and a couple of balls that his dog friends look for when they come over.  But I took probably 30 dog toys to be shelter.

After all, Wolfgang always got Puppy Loot on Christmas.  Now we hope that these dogs who have nothing will enjoy having a toy all their own.  As The Queen Of The World has been saying, he was always so good about sharing his toys.  She says that he'd like sharing his toys with other dogs.  She's right, of course.

But this was a hard experience for me.  It was part of letting go, which has to be done.  But it was hard.  Chris Stapleton wrote this song the night that his dog died.  I expect that was hard, too.

Maggie's Song (Songwriter: Chris Stapleton)

Let me tell you a story
About an old friend of mine
Somebody left her in a shopping cart
In a parking lot for us to find

Just a fuzzy black pup
She was hungry and feeling alone
We put her in the back seat
Told her we were taking her home

Run, Maggie, run
With the heart of a rebel child
Oh, run, Maggie, run
Be just as free as you are wild

A few kids later
We moved out on the farm
And she followed those kids around
Yeah, she kept them safe from harm

And she loved to chase squirrels
And playing out in the snow
She'd take off like a bullet
Man, you should have seen her go

Run, Maggie, run
With the heart of a rebel child
Oh, run, Maggie, run
Be just as free as you are wild

It was raining on a Monday
The day that Maggie died
She woke up and couldn't use her legs
So I laid down by her side

She put her head on my hand
Like she'd done so many times
I told her she was a good dog
Then I told her goodbye

Run, Maggie, run
With the heart of a rebel child
Oh, run, Maggie, run
Be just as free as you are wild

I had a revelation
As the tractor dug a hole
I can tell you right now
That a dog has a soul

And I thought to myself
As we buried her on the hill
I never knew me a better dog
And I guess I never will

Run, Maggie, run
With the heart of a rebel child
Oh, run, Maggie, run
Be just as free as you are wild

Oh, run, Maggie, run
With the heart of a rebel child
Oh, run, Maggie, run
Be just as free as you are wild

Wolfgang never had the heart of a rebel child.  Instead, he shared his toys with his doggie friends.  But I never knew me a better dog, and I guess I never will.

My Father's Day gift finally arrived

Wolfgang had a favorite tree that he loved to lie underneath.  We would go out at the end of the day and sit (we even called it "Sit Time" and he knew those words and what they meant - he'd get all wiggly when he heard them).

The Queen Of The World ordered a special gift for me for Father's Day.  I put it under Wolfgang's tree.

Here's a close up picture.

The text reads:

Wolfgang

2012-2023

If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

It's been around 100 days now and his absence still hangs heavy.  We're both still sad.  He's a dog that will take a lot of getting over.

An endorsement (sort of from Wolfgang) for Chewy.com

We have used Chewy as our preferred supplier for Wolfgang's food and meds for like, forever.  They've shipped regularly and on time and we've been quite happy with that.

But that's not why we're recommending them.  Here's why:

When we first set up an account there was an option to upload a picture of your pet.  The Queen Of The World uploaded a pic of Wolfgang.  She expected that a little pic of him would be on their website when we ordered stuff for him.  Instead, we got a US Postal mailing that had a hand painted picture of Wolfgang, painted by one of their staff.

But that's not why we're recommending them.  Here's why:

When Wolfgang died, I went to their web site to shut down any auto-ship orders and that sort of thing.  They had a "Delete this pet" option which seemed to be appropriate, which I chose.  The next day I got an email from their support staff that expressed their heartfelt sorrow for what we were going through.  It wasn't an auto-generated email "So sorry for your loss" but a personal email that brought a tear to my eyes.

But that's not why we're recommending them.  Here's why:

Today the doorbell rang.  It was sumd00d dropping off a bouquet of flowers with a card saying that the team at Chewy was so sorry that we had lost Wolfgang.

They didn't have to do any of this (other than ship my orders on time).  My take is that Chewy hires people who love pets, and empowers them to treat their customers like, well, pet lovers.

The Queen Of The World and I were fans before this, but now we're HUGE Chewy fans.  They've treated us, and Wolfgang, above and beyond the call of current e-commerce.  They've treated us like family - better than some of our actual family in fact.

If you have a pet, Chewy.com comes highly, highly recommended from us (yeah, and Wolfgang - he liked the stuff we got there, from his daily food to his medications).  And no, we have no relationship with them other than very, very satisfied customers.

Dad Joke CCLX

We are dog sitting our grand-dogs, so here's a dog themed Dad Joke:

Where should dogs never go shopping?

At a flea market. 

Mo Pitney - Just a Dog

It seems that Wolfgang made his first appearance in these saturday country music posts on September 1, 2012.  The song was Burl Ives, I found my best friend in the Dog Pound.  It had this photo which made me smile and also brought a tear to my eye.

He sure loved lying on the grass, from when he was a little pup.  Here in Florida, he and I would sit out on the grass at the end of the day, watching the world go by.  The Queen Of The World and I called it "Sit Time", and he always got excited when I said those words.

This week has been a whole lot of him not being there.  This song is all about that.

Just A Dog (Songwriter: Mo Pitney)

Ten years ago I was on my way home,

saw her walking on the side of the highway alone.
It was raining like hell and I kept telling myself
"not my problem, keep on driving, just like everybody else."
Why should I be the one pulling over on the shoulder at night?

It's just a dog, right?

From the cab of my truck, to the foot of my bed,
to a new pair of boots that she chewed in shreds.

Digging holes in the yard, chasing cars down the street
to one gutter and when I found her, I thought it hit me.
Took half of my savings to save her, and I didn't think twice.

It's just a dog, right?

Just an old mutt riding shotgun, getting my seats all muddy.
Just the one who I come home to, just my best fishin' buddy.
We were walking that spring in the sand on the beach.
You know she was the reason, Amy walked up to me.
She lost her place on the couch, but she kept her cool.
She was crazy about Amy and she knew I was too.
And the night that girl left me, she kept me from losing my mind.

But it's just a dog, right?

It's 83° today and man I can hardly wait to get this truck down to the lake,
I bet the bass' are hittin'.
Boats in my rear view mirror, got my... tackle box and all my gear,
the wind is right, the sky is clear, there's only one thing missin'.
Just an old mutt riding shotgun in my seats on my knees.
It just hit me she's not with me like she was this past Sunday.
Why am I pulling over on the shoulder with tears in my eyes?

It's just a dog, right?
She was just a dog, right?

We see ourselves reflected in our dog's eyes ...

... not as we are, but as we would like to be.  Wolfgang is most noticeable by his absence - no greeting at the door when I come home, no canine friend sleeping in his usual spot, no morning greeting when I wake up, no goodnight dog biscuits.

What's worst of all is in the mirror, all I see is me as I am.  It sure was better with him.

 

All of Man's virtues, with none of his vices

If Ike wants a friend in Washington, he should get a dog.

- Harry Truman, on Eisenhauer's 1953 Inauguration

It was 2012.  I was done with the Atlanta-Austin shuttle.  What I found was that my family liked me being away from home all the time, as long as the paycheck cleared.  My soon-to-be-ex was increasingly angry and dismissive; my two surly teenage sons were, well, increasingly surly.

And so I channeled my inner Ike and got a dog.  I wanted something that I knew would love me, without asking for anything in return (except for love and kindness, that is).  This was Wolfgang's introduction to this blog.

I didn't know just what an extraordinary friend I had brought into the house.  I did a better job socializing and training him than I had on my old German Shepherd, Jack.  30 years of me growing up helped a lot there.  But Wolfgang was something special.  He loved going to the dog park (morning and evening) which I never did with Jack, and so he became comfortable and social around all the other dogs.  I took Wolfgang on walks in the woods, like I had with Jack.  But as Wolfgang grew, so did his personality.  He had a gusto for life when it was him and me spending time together.  I was his Dad, but he was my friend and companion.

My marriage augured into the ground, and I met The Queen Of The World.  Wolfgang discovered what I was learning, that she was extraordinarily caring.  She made sure his food and water dishes were clean and full.  She gave him a bed (a folded up blanket, but it was his place) which he had never had before.  She gave him his first stuffed toy, which we called his "baby".  He'd never had one before.  I was his Dad, and did things with him.  She quickly became his Mom, and did things for him.  Wolfgang loved her immediately.  

He loved her even when she took his baby and put it in the washing machine.  He lost his mind - it was HIS baby!  He relaxed when she took it out of the washer, and then lost his mind all over again when she put it in the dryer.  But The Queen Of The World made sure he had his own bed to sleep on, and his baby to sleep with him.

Pretty soon she replaced the blanket with an actual bed for him.

She was a great Mom for him.  She got him his first Frisbee.  I threw tennis balls for him to chase, and she noticed that he would catch them when I lobbed them to him.  So she got soft Frisbees and he took to that like a duck takes to water.  He would get huge hang time jumping for them - it was like a shark hitting a tuna.  The Frisbee in the photo below is at least seven feet off the ground.  We met most of the folks in the neighborhood because everyone noticed the big, good looking dog carrying the Frisbee.  The neighborhood kids in particular all wanted to throw it for him.  Wolfgang quickly learned that kids just wanted to play with him.  He loved kids, and they loved him.  The neighborhood Moms all relaxed when they watched everyone having fun with the big Frisbee dog.

Unlike Jack, he also loved being around other dogs.  He would play at the dog park, and was always good about sharing his Frisbee.  I've never seen a dog get along with other dogs as well as he did.

The Queen got him a raincoat, because I would take him out, rain or shine.  She called him the "Morton Salt dog".

You see, we'd go look for deer lurking around Castle Borepatch and sometimes it rained.  Sometimes it didn't.  Whichever, we had our time together every day.

The Queen Of The World and he had time together every day, too.  Christmas was always special, because she filled his stocking to overflowing.  He always got excited when she hung his stocking with ours.  He knew she was taking care of him, in a way he hadn't ever had before.

The move to Florida was good for him, as it was to us.  His back and hips were going bad, and he didn't have cold and snow to deal with, or stairs to navigate.  And while there weren't many deer, there were a lot of cows.  He loved saying hello to the cows.

But time and tide wait for no man, or dog.  His back became nothing but arthritis, and the sockets of his hips were jagged bone.  It got harder and harder for him to walk.  If you look closely in the next picture, you can see that he couldn't quite get his back end all the way up, and his back legs are tangled up.  He'd fall and have trouble getting up.  That was two months ago, and it continued getting worse.

One night he fell and had to pull himself with his front legs to where he could stand up.  You could see the pain in his eyes, and while he never used to whine that became more common.  And so we spoiled him, and made the call to the vet.  The first picture of him is at the top of the post; this is the last photo I took of him.

The Queen Of The World made him chicken and rice, and he ate a huge lunch yesterday, and loved every bit of it.  We gave him Frosty Paws which we'd stopped because it upset his digestive system.  But all rules were suspended yesterday.  And then we went to the vet.

Yesterday was a bad day.  He gave us what I had hoped for when I got him - unconditional, devoted love.  The Queen Of The World and I returned that to him - we used to say that he was our child.  We would give him morning family hugs and tell him "I love you".  Soon he was saying it back to us: Ooo OOOOO ooo.  He would match the word length and tone perfectly.

But of course, he wasn't our child, he was our dog.  Rather than three score and ten, we had him for a decade and one.  We are now constantly reminded of him by his absence, where he should be waiting for us but is not.  Yesterday morning was the hardest; rather than him eager to see me get out of bed, it was silence.  I'm sort of wrecked, losing someone like that.  I am sure glad that I have The Queen Of The World with me.  

Wolfgang was hands down the best dog we've ever had.  He was so friendly with both people and dogs, so smart and easy to train, so well behaved, and so damned handsome that everyone in the neighborhood is sad, too.  He truly earned the words from Epitaph to a Dog:

Near this spot rests one who had
Beauty without Vanity;
Strength without Insolence:
Courage without Ferocity;
and all Man's Virtues with none of his vices.

This has been a long post, but it's his due.  I sure would rather not have the occasion to write it.  The Queen and I will never see his like again.

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

- Will Rogers

Ave atque vale, Wolfgang.  I sure miss you.

The Wolfgang Chronicles - I

Wolfgang isn't doing well, and won't get better.  While he doesn't have hip displasia, his hip joints are worn out - it's bone on bone.  He really can't run very well, and we are working on pain management.

Quite frankly, we think he's living on borrowed time.  Every day is a win, as long as his pain is manageable.  But we see the trajectory.

So I'm starting a new recurring feature, an ongoing tribute to our 4 legged soul mate.

Wolfgang and friends at the dog park.  He has regular dog buddies, which he really likes.  My old dog Jack was only socialized to a certain extent, but Wolfgang likes all dogs and all kids.

LOL [snort]

 Man, that's funny.  Any yes, I am a nerd.  Why do you ask?

Shamelessly stolen from Jennifer who has a bunch of them.  This one may not even be the funniest.

The jail is full of animals!

And if you go to Key West, you can visit them at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Children's Animal Farm.  It's located at the county jail, and got started more or less by accident:

The farm was started in 1994 in an open area underneath the jail facility. The Stock Island Detention Center was built to withstand a Category Five Hurricane, and is built on stilts, about 11 feet above the ground. Underneath the building is employee parking, and a secure fenced area used for the evacuation of inmates in the case of a fire. It was in this evacuation area, initially a graveled area not used for anything else, that the farm was started.

The farm began as a haven for homeless animals. The first inhabitants were Muscovy ducks and a group of chickens which were plaguing a nearby golf course and were being killed on a regular basis by vehicles traveling on the road leading to the jail. A short time after the chickens and ducks were brought to the area, the SPCA in Miami called and asked if the facility would have space for a blind horse they had found abandoned in their area. Using inmate labor, a pen was created for the horse, who was christened Angel, and the animal farm was born. Since, it has blossomed into a beautiful park, complete with an large aviary, reptile exhibit, rabbit warren, farm animals and other domestic and exotic animal species.

The inmates work the farm, taking care of the animals, under the supervision of one of the Deputies.  I must say that The Queen Of The World and I heartily approve of this.  It rescues animals, and it has got to be good for the inmates.

Note that they have an Amazon wish list for the animals, if you want to send something.  TQOTW sent some baby food to Kinx the Kinkajou (a rain forest species).

Bravo to the Monroe County Sheriff for a very creative effort.  We intend to visit the next time we're in Key West.

Dad Joke CCXXXI

What kind of dog likes bubble baths?

A shampoodle. 

Dad Joke CCX - special Wolfgang edition

Wolfgang had his tenth birthday last month and that makes him a Senior Citizen dog.  He's been having more pain in his back and hips for a while now.  He drags his hind paws when he walks, and has worn down his claws until they bleed.  We have shoes for him which he likes - I think that he knows that we're doing this to make him more comfortable.

Our goal is to keep him comfortable and with a high quality of life for the time we still have with him.  But it makes me sad to see the trajectory that our four legged child* is on. 

So there will be more Wolfgang-themed material.  Including this: how many dogs does it take to screw in a light bulb?  The answer, of course, depends on the breed.

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned-out light bulb? 

German Shepherd: I'll replace the bulb after  I've done a perimeter check to make sure that everyone is OK.

Border Collie: I'll do it, and I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

Dachshund: I can't reach the stupid lamp!

Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

Rottweiler: Go Ahead! Make me!

Lab: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?

Doberman Pinscher: While it's dark, I'm going to sleep on the couch.

Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.

Hound Dog: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

Irish Wolfhound: Can somebody else do it? I've got a hangover.

Pointer: I see it, there it is, right there...

Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First let me put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? Light bulb? I can't see any light bulb!

* That's how The Queen Of The World and I refer to him.

Rest in Peace, Murphy

Last month, Murphy's Law lost his German Shepherd Memphis Belle.  He just lost his other shepherd, Murphy.  Wolfgang is sad about this, as am I.  Blogger is still messed up for me so I can't leave a comment over at his place, and so I'll put up a post here.

Murphy's Law rescued the dog, way Back In The Day.  Murphy became his constant companion, as they will  do to you.  But Nature is cruel - they become part of your heart but then Nature takes them away too soon.  It's quite a void that gets left behind, at least if we're any good at all.

I've often said that we see ourselves reflected in our dog's eyes, not as we are but as we would wish to be.  

There are songs that say that better, if you know where to look.  To save you the trouble, here's one that fits:

Just A Dog (Songwriter: Mo Pitney)

Ten years ago I was on my way home, saw her walking on the side of the highway alone.
It was raining like hell and I kept telling myself
"not my problem, keep on driving, just like everybody else."
Why should I be the one pulling over on the shoulder at night?

It's just a dog, right?

From the cab of my truck, to the foot of my bed, to a new pair of boots that she chewed in shreds.
Digging holes in the yard, chasing cars down the street
to one gutter and when I found her, I thought it hit me.
Took half of my savings to save her, and I didn't think twice.

It's just a dog, right?

Just an old mutt riding shotgun, getting my seats all muddy.
Just the one who I come home to, just my best fishin' buddy.
We were walking that spring in the sand on the beach.
You know she was the reason, Amy walked up to me.
She lost her place on the couch, but she kept her cool.
She was crazy about Amy and she knew I was too.
And the night that girl left me, she kept me from losing my mind.

But it's just a dog, right?

It's 83° today and man I can hardly wait to get this truck down to the lake, I bet the bass' are hittin'.
Boats in my rear view mirror, got my... tackle box and all my gear,
the wind is right, the sky is clear, there's only one thing missin'.
Just an old mutt riding shotgun in my seats on my knees.
It just hit me she's not with me like she was this past Sunday.
Why am I pulling over on the shoulder with tears in my eyes?

It's just a dog, right?
She was just a dog, right?

Rest in peace, Murphy. 

Epitaph for a dog

Murphy's Law has lost his German Shepherd, Memphis Belle.  He has a touching send off over at this place.

Blogger seems wedged, and so isn't letting me leave a comment over there so I'll put it up here.  Lord Byron's epitaph for his beloved Newfoundland, Bos'un, is justly famous and sums up our four footed friends better than any I've seen.  It seems Miss Belle's due.

Near this spot rest the remains of one who possessed
Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity
and all Man's virtues with none of his vices

He's had her nearly as long as I've had Wolfgang.  Alas, neither Time nor Tide wait for any man (or dog), and Wolfgang is showing signs of age as he approaches his tenth birthday next month.  Hail and farewell, Miss Belle.  If you don't mind I'd like to keep you waiting for Wolfgang a little while longer.

UPDATE 8 APRIL 2022 17:35:  Murphy, maybe she's collecting Mardi Gras beads with Oliver.  It seems that even Sandra Bullock gave him (Oliver, not Murphy) beads, which is insanely cool.  Anyone who never read that story, get you on over there toute suite.

Wolfgang has a houseguest

 

Augie, 7 months old.  He likes playing chase and so does Wolfgang.

Sunday, puppy Sunday

Sophie, Beretta, and Wolfgang at the dog park.  It was German Shepherd day.