Tru Dawg

Truman

His name was Truman. I lovingly referred to him as Tru Dawg. He certainly was the most true dog I have ever met. You never had to guess his emotions. If he was happy, his tail would wag excessively. If he was excited and wanted to play, he would bounce around a room with his toy in his mouth. Even in his last weeks on Earth. If he was angry, he would show his teeth and growl a little. This was usually when someone got too close to his food or he felt like someone was threatening a loved one. Words will never express the love and gratitude we have for this creature, but I am going to tell you about him anyway.

First and Foremost Truman was a Guardian! He guarded us and protected us to the end. His last night on Earth, we got him to jump up on our bed so we could love him and pet him. He basked in the glory of that for a while, and even fell asleep. We hoped he would sleep with us all night, but as soon as I dozed off he jumped down and positioned himself between the door and our bed. His position of Protector. Luckily we have never had any intruders in our home, but we knew we were protected just in case. He did his "job" well! 

He loved to walk.

He was a Walker, just like me! His absolute favorite thing in the world was to go for a walk. Just saying the word "walk" would elicit tail wagging to the extreme. If you put on your shoes, he would get up and be ready. If you headed to the door, he would be right behind you wagging his tail. In his younger days he would walk 5 miles no problem. As he got older, that distance shortened of course. But that didn't keep him from wanting to walk further. There were many times we would get him to turn around to go home because we knew he would be worn out. He would look at us like "But I can walk further, I promise". We fell for it a couple of times and we almost had to carry him back. Ha! He would come home and gobble up some water, then collapse on the floor for a nap. But if we mentioned the word "walk", he would jump up again ready to go. We never did that to him of course! I loved walking that dog. LOVED IT! 

He loved to smell!

He was a Smeller! The other thing he loved to do was smell! Smelling and walking go hand in hand of course, but he would take smelling to a whole other level if you let him. He could sniff a tree, or the ground for long periods of time if you let him. If he picked up the scent of a squirrel or rabbit, his tail would perk up and he would pick up his pace. Walker beware! 

But he also loved to lay around outside and just enjoy the day!

Some days he would be outside lying in the grass, and if you tried to get him to come in he would just look at you like you were crazy. It would take some coaxing some days. Sometimes we even needed to bribe him with a treat. He really seemed to know what was important in life.

That made him a Teacher! He taught us many things along the way. I will borrow from an old post to share the things he taught us.

If dogs were our teachers, this is what we would learn... among other wonderful things;

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them; He always greeted me or Connie at the door when we came home. Even when Connie came home at midnight thirty and he was sleeping. The sound of the door would stir him into action and he would greet her at the door every time.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure DELIGHT.  You should see some photos Connie has of him "smiling" in the wind. 
• Take naps; He certainly could take great naps.
• Stretch before rising; Oh to stretch like he stretched!
• Run, romp, and play daily; He loved to play with his "toys".
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you; A good rub down? Check! 
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do; His growl was effective enough.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass; Or on your belly, as he did.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree; He didn't love the heat, but he could gobble up some water.
• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body; He danced in his own way for sure.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk; Did I mention he loved to walk? It is one of the greatest joys we shared. I loved walking that dog, even when it was just to the mailbox and back in his later days. 
• Be loyal; There was no doubting his loyalty!
• Never pretend to be something you're not; Like I said, he was a True Dog
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it; He would dig now and then. 
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently;  He was effective with therapy in that way for sure. The beauty of Truman, or any dog, is that he didn't need to talk to you to understand you, and visa versa. 

Connie and Truman nuzzling each other this past weekend. It melts my heart!

We said goodbye to our dear friend today. As we did, I was reminded of a story I have heard in the past. It doesn't lessen the blow, but it still makes me smile.

Some parents wondered out loud why dogs live such short lives. Their six year old said he knew why and gave the explanation below...

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Amen!!

RIP Tru Dawg!!!

Now Go Out and Hug a Furry Friend Today!!!