Hello and welcome to my little slice of the interwebs. During this visit to the mound, you'll be subjected to my musings about sports (especially the Rockies), video games (most likely Halo), history, current events, and funny stories/experiences. Alright, well the ump is telling us to wrap this up, so let's get to it.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Ode to Oreo

Oreo ~ January 3, 1996 - December 5, 2011

My Beloved Puppy

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

Prior to leaving for my freshman year of college, my mom made an awesome scrapbook out of pictures of my dog, Oreo. That quote appears on one of the pages and truly sums up how I feel about Oreo and the impact she had on me.

A few hours ago, Oreo was put down. It's been tough to take. I can't believe that she's gone, that I won't be able to hold her anymore or feel her soft, lustrous fur against my skin. No more kisses. No more hearing the jingle of her collar against her food dish or hearing the "clack" of her claws as she strolled across the kitchen. I'll never again walk through the garage door and see her lounging on the couch or spy her through the window traipsing about the backyard. I will never again witness her doing her "cute" pose where she sat back on her haunches. It was absolutely adorable.

I know it was the right decision. She had been in decline for awhile now, but things really took a turn for the worse a few days ago. She was down to about half her normal weight and was pretty much just skin and bones. She couldn't really stand and support herself and had to be hand-fed. It was sad to see.

Knowing that, however, doesn't make it any easier.

Oreo was a birthday present for my 10th birthday. A friend of the family was getting a new puppy from someone who bred Shih Tzus and Westies, and my mom went along. At the breeders', my mom saw the cutest little puppy. She was a Shih Tzu-Westie mix that looked nothing like either but had the cutest little nose. My mom was taken and came home with the 2.5-month-old puppy.

I had been skiing with my dad, and when we got home that night, I noticed a dog kennel in the family room. I'm sometimes slow on the uptake, so when I was told that it was for our rabbit, I didn't think anything of it. After being prodded to go to the basement, and not catching on, I opened the basement door and saw my brother holding our new puppy. She was wearing the cutest little birthday hat. We spent the next couple of days trying to decide a name, and eventually we picked Oreo, a name my dad had suggested because of her black coat with white chin, chest, and paws.

Oreo was an independent, stubborn little thing full of spunk, and that's what I loved most about her. She got out once when she was little and ended up crashing a graduation party up the street. She walked right in the front door and hung out for awhile. Little party animal. My parents got this spray that was supposed to keep her from chewing on the furniture and stuff. Yeah, it didn't work. We had these little pads that were supposed to help house-break her. She tore them up. We even bought one of those collars that was supposed to stop dogs from barking. She chewed it up... literally. That's my girl. :)



She also had the biggest, strongest heart I've ever encountered. She had an iron will and was a tough little dog. She tore her ACL, but you would never know from watching her. She had a liver defect yet lived nearly 16 years. Even when the rest of her was failing, her heartbeat remained strong. She was never one to give up, and even to the end, she gutted it out. She was so full of life, and the saddest feeling I've ever had was when I felt that heart beat in her warm, furry body for the final time.

Her heart will beat on, though. It will beat on in me for she will always have a piece of my heart. I love that little dog so so much, and it hurts knowing that I will never be greeted by her cute, comforting face anymore. She had the sweetest disposition and would always put a smile on my face.



"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." -Bern Williams

That is perhaps my favorite dog quote because it is so true. The last few years haven't been easy for me; I've battled some depression. No matter how low or upset I've felt, though, Oreo could always lift my spirits. She could tell. If I was upset, she'd walk over and show me some love. Hell, even I'd get angry while playing Halo or NCAA, she'd wander over and demand I pet her. It never failed.

There was no situation that couldn't be remedied by holding her on my lap and petting her. She always brightened my day. Even now, when she's gone, just remembering her puts a smile on my face. I remember how she used to sit on the top of the couch and gaze out the window. She loved to sit on the rug by the front door and just observe the goings-on of the neighborhood. She'd go berserk and bark up a storm if a squirrel dared step foot in our yard. After chasing the offender away, she'd come back inside, head held high. Whenever there was snow outside, she'd come back to the door looking like Santa Claus. She'd have this white beard and looked absolutely adorable. You couldn't help but laugh. I remember the first time it snowed after we got her, and she had a ball outside chasing the snow. Whenver she'd jump, she'd kick up some powder upon landing. She'd jump after it, kick up more snow, and jump after that.

I used to love sitting on the basement steps with my head at floor level. She'd always wander by, lick my face, and then go about her business. We used to love playing tug-of-war with her toys. She had "Das Boot" (a rubber army boot chewtoy), Tough Guy (a cigar-chomping bear that said "How you doin'?!" when you squeezed it), and her "Minky" (a little stuffed monkey). She had this stuffed lobster toy that had three little baby lobsters. She used to carry all three in her mouth. She also would use random objects as toys: she particularly enjoyed tossing her bed about.

Oreo also loved her pigs' ears. She was funny with those. She'd get all excited and want to show it off, so she'd wander around to display her prize to everyone. If you ignored her, she'd growl at you as if to say, "Hey! Look at what I've got!" Then, if you gazed too long, she'd growl again like, "Hey! This is mine! Get your own!" Of course, her tail'd be wagging the whole time.

Christmases were especially fun. She'd wade through the sea of wrapping paper, clutching a pig's ear. We'd always give her one as a Christmas present and to keep her calm during the unwrapping of presents. She'd always bury it under all the wrapping paper.

Oreo was an intelligent dog, too. We used to play a game with her involving treats. It was sort of like the shell game; we'd take a treat and hide it in one of our hands and make her pick. She'd sniff one hand and then the other and then paw whichever hand she thought had the treat. More often than not, she got it right.

Perhaps my favorite memory of her is how she used to pretend that she didn't get on the couch. We got new couches one year and tried to keep her from getting up on them. She'd been allowed on the old couch and didn't see why she shouldn't be allowed the new one, too. Whenever we'd leave, she'd hop up on the couch and lay down. She had her little spot; she even formed her own groove. Well, whenever we'd return home, she'd either be waiting at the door or sitting in her bed like a good girl. Of course, you could see the little indentation and still feel the warmth from where she'd been sitting.

Another favorite memory is how such a little dog could take up so much space. We have these Love Sacs (basically giant bean bag chairs) in our basement, and naturally, Oreo preferred to lay down smack dab in the middle of the biggest one. Whenever I let her sleep on my bed, she'd always lay right in the middle. I'd have little room, but I didn't care. After all, my little ball of warmth

I have countless memories of Oreo, too many to list here. I will cherish them always, though. Oreo was special to me. We grew up together. I realized today that I've spent about two-thirds of my life with her. When I'd come home from school, she'd be sitting at the front door and see me pull up. By the time I got to the garage door to go inside, she'd already be waiting there for me. Whenever I'd wake up in the morning and my parents were gone, she'd be right there at the side of my bed. I loved to read with her on my lap.

Oreo was the best dog a boy could ask for. She was so gentle and taught me so much. I learned how to be compassionate and feel empathy from her. She showed me what it was to love unconditionally and with every fiber of your being. No matter how poorly I viewed myself, she loved me. She didn't care what flaws I had. It didn't matter to her. She just loved me, and I loved her. My mom often joked that I'd spend more time saying goodbye to the dog than her, but I wanted Oreo to know how much she meant to me. Honestly, she was my rock. Whenever there was a storm in my life, she was my safe harbor. It's amazing how all your troubles drift away when a dog's licking your face or when you're stroking her face or scratching behind her ears.



I've always been one to conceal my emotions. I'm generally pretty even-keeled, but the downside is that it's hard for me to convey my feelings, even to those I'm close to. Oreo helped me greatly in that regard. She showed me what was possible if I got in touch with my feelings. 

Oreo was the walking embodiment of Life and Love. She just had a vitality around her. I've already mentioned her spunk, but there was just something about her. Feeling her warmth and heartbeat just reminded me what life is. Forget about all the other stuff, just enjoy life. Live it. Life is a precious thing, and Oreo's presence constantly reminded me of that. She was so small, but she had so much life in her. She was just so full of life, and she made the most of it.

She didn't  just have an impact on me, either. One of the most touching experiences of my life involved her and my dad. My dad wasn't in favor of getting her in the first place and didn't want to have the responsibilities that came with owning a dog. I was always afraid that he resented getting Oreo, yet her passing hit him hard. When I told him that I'd made the decision to put her down, he said, "I'm not ready to let her go yet. I need more time." My heart just about broke right there. Her rapid decline these past couple of days forced our hand, but he still insisted on giving her one last bath. That was tough, but he wanted her to look her best. "Look so pretty smell so nice!" as we used to tell her.  

Carrying Oreo into the vet's office today, I could feel her heart beating away even through the bundle of blankets we had her in. As I held her while the vet put in the needle that would end her suffering, I could still feel her heart beat. It was slow and steady, until it beat no more. As I felt it beat for the last time, I couldn't even speak. Her heart was so big and so strong, and it was full of so much love and tenderness. I petedt her limp body for quite awhile after she'd gone, and the image of her laying there on the vet's table with stick with me forever.

Oreo, wherever you are, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I'll always remember you and cherish all the good times we have. You showed me so much and had such an impact on my life. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am eternally grateful for the time we shared. I will probably have other dogs, but they will never be you. You will always be my Pup, my Little One.

I love you Oreo, so very much, and I miss you terribly. I'll miss your sweet disposition and your gentle kisses. I'll miss your inquisitive nature and your funny little "wwwwrrrruuff." I'll miss seeing your shaggy face perched upon the couch.

Most of all I'll miss holding you and feeling your warmth and love.



I love you Oreo.  

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1 comment:

  1. Well said - she was a fantastic pet! I love seeing all of the pictures of her though! Cute puppy!

    ReplyDelete