dog

I remember the day exactly. It was a Saturday. Dad was outside working in the yard like he always does, I was inside doing homework when the phone rang. It was mom, and she was at the animal shelter and she needed me to come meet her. She didn’t want me to tell dad just yet, but she thought she had found a little dog for us. I was so excited, I always wanted a little dog. So, I hopped in my car and sped downtown to meet my mom and hopefully the new little addition to our family. I arrived and mom took me back to the little room where my potential new little fluff ball was waiting. I walked in and saw a little crate on the floor with a little moppy head sticking out of it. I knelt down to say hi to the little guy, but he was very shy and retreated into his crate. I sat there for a while, staying really calm and quiet and eventually he emerged from his home. He cautiously walked over to me, lifted up his head and peered at me through his moppy head of hair. He sniffed my arm a few times….

And then proceeded to hump it. It was love at first sight I guess?

Oh Gucci, I guess I couldn’t blame you. After all, you were 8 years old and your owner hadn’t had you fixed, haha. Ironically enough, Jeff’s first experience with the Gooch Dog was exactly the same, lipstick out and all. He was a spunky little thing, that’s for sure, but had more love in his heart than you could ever imagine. I always joked around that he was my replacement when I left for college; he became the new baby of the family and boy was he spoiled rotten. But we didn’t think twice about it, he deserved to have his puppy years back, after not really getting to have them with his first owner.

I’ll always remember how you loved playing with your toys and wearing clothes, (strange yes, but he would actually drag his shirts out of his toy box and bring them to us). You loved to strut around the neighborhood showing off your new little Christmas sweaters. And you loved stealing food from us whenever you got the chance. I never quite understood your obsession with ice cream and beer, but you always begged us for them and would go sulk in your little bed when we never let you have any. And your affixation with my underwear was always a bit disturbing and why you would steal them and hide them in your crate baffled me too, but it always made for a good laugh and it forced me to be very careful with my laundry.

No matter where I was in the house, if I was crying, you would find me. And you wouldn’t stop barking until I let you up on the couch to sit with me until I stopped crying. You were a terrific snuggler. You used to love snuggling with me in bed, and I did too, especially when I would wake up and you had wiggled your way up to sleep on my pillow…..with your butt in my face. You had really funny doggy dreams, and it amazed me that such loud snores could come out of such a tiny little doggy.

You were beautiful and had such a big personality. You were perfect and brought so much love to our family. I’m sad that I wasn’t there to say goodbye and it will be very hard to go home this weekend and not find you sleeping in your little spot under mom’s desk. But it will be OK. You’re at peace now and very, very happy. I’m sure you’re currently helping yourself to all-you-can-eat ice cream, strutting around hitting on all of the girl doggies in your new little “Doggy Angel” shirt, and rolling around in gigantic piles of underwear.

Love you little dude. Miss you.