Spoiler alert, you may need a tissue or two for this post. Just sayin.
Life is short folks, and we take so many little things for granted everyday. When I come home from work, I have four, happy, energetic Border Collies greeting me. Whether I’ve had a great day, a super busy day, or a not-so-great day, tails are wagging and Dot, Nat, Sox, and Rex are excited to see me. When I come home today, our oldest Border Collie, Dot, won’t be there to say hello.
Dot was a graduation present for Merri Beth and is a registered Border Collie (ABC 175100) She was born on March 28, 2000 and we celebrated her birthday, and life, yesterday. She had a great 13 years with us, 91 in dogs years. She was my first frisbee dog and our first “child.” Maybe that’s a dog owner thing? Dot is a part of our family.
We’ve known for a while that Dot didn’t have much longer with us. The family has been giving her extra treats and hugs. Our vet, Dr. Grant, diagnosed Dot with liver cancer a few weeks ago and told us she only had a few more weeks.
Over the last few weeks, Dot’s been getting a little slower, had trouble going up and down the stairs, and has been resting a lot. We don’t want it to get to the point where Dot has too much difficulty getting around or starts suffering.
Deep down, I think she knows what’s going on. I’ve cried every night for the past week, thinking about today. Each day gets a little worse. Thinking about “the last time” for this and that. And instead of being sad about it, I want to celebrate the joy that Dot has brought to our family.
Dot gave us our second Border Collie, Natalie. And they love to watch TV together. They watch football, basketball, and tennis, but don’t care much for the home shopping channel. Dot’s been the momma dog as Nat, Bella, Sox, and Rex became part of our “thundering herd.” We loved to take Dot to the beach. She would hop through the breaking waves and swim if she couldn’t touch the bottom, chasing after her toys and bringing them back to one of us for more fetching.
Dot was awesome with kids. Very gentle and curious. In fact, the day we brought Zander back from the hospital, she was intrigued, yet obedient. The best part about Dot is that she brought joy to our lives. And many, many great memories. It’s sad to say good-bye, but it’s the right thing to do.
We love you Dot. Let the good times roll. Please help us celebrate Dot!
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So sad, yet important to remember the good memories. Our Roxy is getting a little greyer and slower too, so dreading when that day comes for us. My first pet :/
I wanted to share some reasons that I love Dot! She loved to cuddle in the floor, which maybe why Bella is such a good cuddlier. I love how she always seemed to be smiling when you looked at her. She was kind, gentle and loving. I also loved her snaggle tooth that would stick out of her mouth sometimes. She knew when you needed some love and when you had had enough. I love how she looked and acted like her mother Kip. I love her beautiful daughter Bella that possess her same great traits. I will always keep you in my heart for you were one in a million kind of girl!
Dot was a “once in a lifetime kinda dog”. I know because I have had at least one dog all of my like and a special dog like Dot that combines smarts with love and obedience is very rare indeed. I celebrate the many great memories of how she helped teach Zander to walk, how she was his babysitter and the very special care that she gave him as an infant. She knew that she would have to share your affection for him but also knew it was her duty to love and care for him which she did extremely well. Dot not only understood the english language but she also had the ability to reason. She was as close to human as a dog gets. I will always remember how gently she would put her head on me to ask for affection, how soft and loving her eyes were and most of all how much she enjoyed the love and affection that was returned to her. Her passing is a reminder that we should treasure the real special moments in our life and Dot brought many special moments to all of us who were fortunate enough to share her life. Dot will be missed, always loved but never forgotten.
Love Dad