A while back I talked about the importance of not crying in front of your wife. I still hold this to be very true. But in that post, I also outlined a few exceptions to the rule. Number four on my list of exceptions:
- When your dog dies, but not for any other kind of pet. Sorry cat lovers. Nothing against them, but they’re not manly.
One of our dogs developed a sudden immune system disorder this week. The short version is that her body started attacking its own blood, destroying the red blood cells and platelets. We had a couple of trips to the emergency vet’s office this week, coupled with a day long stay at the regular vet. They gave her a large blood transfusion and then hit her with some powerful meds to inhibit her immune system. The blood transfusion worked – she was doing tremendously better the next day, almost like normal. The meds didn’t. She deteriorated again fairly rapidly. Early this morning she suffered a seizure. I took her in to the emergency vet again while my wife waited at our apartment for her mother to show up to watch our infant son. At the vet’s office, the dog had a second seizure before my wife arrived. When she got there, we agreed with the vet’s assessment that the dog was essentially already gone – and that it was probably already too late after the first seizure. Rather than forcing her to wait out another half hour or an hour in pain, we had her put to sleep. She was only seven years old.
Hermione and the dog shared a very special bond. She got the dog in the early days of our relationship, well before we were married. At that time her parents were going through a truly nasty divorce. The dog was there for her even when I couldn’t be – and was there for her in that special way that only a dog really can be.
But also, this was a truly special dog. I can’t post pictures or tell of her antics because then my wife and I would be instantly identifiable if friends or family stumbled across this blog. She’s that unique. What I can say is that she was, without a doubt, the absolute smartest dog I’ve ever known. She also had a very special temperament. She put up with our young son as he tried to learn to pet her gently, that it wasn’t ok to pull on her ears or tail, or to poke her in the eye. When our other dog wouldn’t put up with him anymore and started to snap, she’d jump in to keep him safe. She was playful and joyous to be around. This was truly a once in a lifetime dog, and the bond she shared with my wife reflected that.
Dogs are pack animals. If you’ve ever owned one (or especially more than one) in a family setting rather than as a single person – or if you’ve ever watched Ol’ Yeller – then you probably already know that a dog will also develop a very special relationship of a different kind with the alpha of the “pack.” In the movie, the dog bonds strongly (although in a different way) with the older brother, despite initially being the younger brother’s dog. Real life often mimics this. My childhood dog bonded with my father in a very special way despite being “my” dog. And in the same way, I bonded with this dog in a very special way even though she was definitely, clearly, and without question Hermione’s dog first and foremost.
So yeah, I’ve shed a few tears today. This dog earned them, which is more than I can say for many humans that I know.
