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King is 10
Mar. 30th, 2011 09:11 pmTomorrow is King's 10th birthday.
One June day in 2001--I forget the exact date--I was checking the want ads at the day job when I saw a notice for a 12-week old male GSD-Lab mix. It had been about two years since we lost Prince, who was also a GSD-Lab mix. It was time for a new pup, and the prospect of getting one that was the same mix as Prince served as the extra added kick.
So I talked to my Dad, then called the owners and got their address. That night, Dad and I went to see a man and woman about a dog.
As it turned out, the male pup had been returned a couple of weeks earlier. Another couple had taken him, dubbed him "Hank," then returned him soon after because their 2-yr old was afraid of him. So he came home, was renamed "Larry" by the son of the house, and settled in with his Mom and sister while his folks put him up for sale again.
We went into the backyard, and found a *very* high energy pup gamboling like an idiot with sis and Mom. Mom was a purebred black field lab; Dad was the GSD. Mom was also a crazy girl who a week or so earlier had dug herself and her kids out of their outdoor pen. They then took off, were rounded up by Animal Control, and needed to be bailed out.
It's hard to turn down a playful pup. We bought King, collected his dish and shot records and bundled him into the truck. I think Dad was as excited as I was because as he backed out of the driveway he hit the former owner's SUV, which was parked across the street.
Ten years. The King and I have been through pano, Lyme, gastritis. Runs through the forest preserve. Deer chases. He and Mickey helped keep me sane when Mom became ill. Now, he's slower, and occasionally cranky. He sleeps more, and his hips are a little stiff. There are times when I would like to kill him.
Earlier, I chased him and his muddy feet off the couch. He's currently curled up on his doggie bed, snoring softly. Still King.
One June day in 2001--I forget the exact date--I was checking the want ads at the day job when I saw a notice for a 12-week old male GSD-Lab mix. It had been about two years since we lost Prince, who was also a GSD-Lab mix. It was time for a new pup, and the prospect of getting one that was the same mix as Prince served as the extra added kick.
So I talked to my Dad, then called the owners and got their address. That night, Dad and I went to see a man and woman about a dog.
As it turned out, the male pup had been returned a couple of weeks earlier. Another couple had taken him, dubbed him "Hank," then returned him soon after because their 2-yr old was afraid of him. So he came home, was renamed "Larry" by the son of the house, and settled in with his Mom and sister while his folks put him up for sale again.
We went into the backyard, and found a *very* high energy pup gamboling like an idiot with sis and Mom. Mom was a purebred black field lab; Dad was the GSD. Mom was also a crazy girl who a week or so earlier had dug herself and her kids out of their outdoor pen. They then took off, were rounded up by Animal Control, and needed to be bailed out.
It's hard to turn down a playful pup. We bought King, collected his dish and shot records and bundled him into the truck. I think Dad was as excited as I was because as he backed out of the driveway he hit the former owner's SUV, which was parked across the street.
Ten years. The King and I have been through pano, Lyme, gastritis. Runs through the forest preserve. Deer chases. He and Mickey helped keep me sane when Mom became ill. Now, he's slower, and occasionally cranky. He sleeps more, and his hips are a little stiff. There are times when I would like to kill him.
Earlier, I chased him and his muddy feet off the couch. He's currently curled up on his doggie bed, snoring softly. Still King.
