Tribute to an AWESOME Dog!

My heart is heavy as I write this tonight. I am full of sadness and remembrance for a good friend. Kallie, our dog is now gone. She was 12 years old, but in her last few years she was full of pain from arthritis. Then about 6 months ago, we couldn't keep her in the house as she couldn't make it through the night without an accident. This broke my heart as she was the only dog I knew that would get depressed when we would leave on vacation. Our neighbor mentioned every time, how she would just mope around the yard. By leaving her outside, I now knew what that looked like....it was SAD. So to banish her to being an outside dog was hard. Especially when it was raining and she was huddled under the tree, just looking at the house as if to ask "Why?"

But rather than dwell on the last part of her life, I want to remember the good times. She was pretty much MY shadow....which was funny because she was Matt's dog. I guess she didn't know that. When I would cook, she would stand between me and the stove. She was great for cleaning up food that dropped on the floor. She LOVED to catch a frisbee, and she would catch it IN THE AIR! If you said the word frisbee, she would run to the closet and look up. (The frisbee was kept in there on the upper shelf.) I will never be able to look at a frisbee and not think of her.

She loved to sleep on the end of my bed....which was quite something, cause she was a big dog. I basically slept somewhat diagonally in the bed. I can't believe Jim was so tolerant of that. She was also the most obedient dog I've ever had....which has ruined me for ever having another dog. The odds of getting another dog as well behaved are pretty slim.

She could do tricks.....the usual, Shake, High Five, Sit, Lay Down, but she NEVER learned to roll over. And every evening for about 15 minutes or so, she had what I called her "crazy hour". (Yeah, I know the time doesn't fit, but that's what I called it non the less.) She would just be CRAZY, making a playful growling noise, and pawing at the ground as she layed on her side, and then would just paw and wiggle and make noise. It was quite funny, and like I said, she did it pretty much EVERY night.

When the kids or I would run (or walk) around the yard, because of the Border Collie in her, she would try to "herd" us by niping at our heels. She would never hurt us, but she would nearly trip us. And in being my shadow, she would sit right under my feet, and would get caught by the chair when I moved, or stepped on when I didn't notice her. But yet, there she was again, the next time.

Basically she was the best dog I've EVER had. She was my friend, my shadow, my companion...and I am going to miss her.

I know some who read this will wonder how I can have such feelings for an animal, but I do! They just get totally under my skin and become a part of the family. Not everyone is an animal lover, and that's okay. Just know that I AM an animal lover, and I have lost one that I TRULY LOVED. So I just want to say a few words of farewell to Kallie now.

Dear Kallie,

Thank you for spending your time on earth in our home. I have enjoyed your time with us, and I am going to miss you. You are truly an AWESOME dog and I will cherish our memories.

I am sorry it had to end this way, and I hope you understand it was not an easy decision to make. It was hard on Jim, as well as the rest of the family. I hope you are happy now and free of the pain. Please be watching for me when my time is over here as I want you to be a part of my eternal life. Please be patient however, as I still have things to do here.

With All My Love to a Good Friend
Diana