Pal died this week. She was a fawn Boxer bitch, an AKC champion and the dam of a champion, but that really doesn't matter much. What does matter is that she lived a rich, full life and died peacefully in the arms of the person who loved her the most, probably the way you and I wish to pass on.
Much has been written about the death of dogs. Breed really doesn't count in the great scheme of things. A Doberman owner feels the loss every bit as much as a Fox Terrier owner or one whose Irish Setter was once ablaze with glory in an autumn meadow.
When a good dog dies a part of its family dies with it, because a dog is family. Whatever its relationship with its human guardians, a dog is part of the web of family life, whether it slept in a favorite corner of the couch or lived a life largely outdoors, herding or guarding its flock.
It's normal to mourn your dog, to grieve in the privacy of your home, to feel tears well up as you walk through your daily routine. As the acute sense of immediate loss recedes, there follows a sad but strangely comforting focus as you remember your dog carrying its fuzzy ball around the yard or waiting for the school bus, tail wagging, every weekday afternoon.
If you are a breeder, you may be lucky enough to have a son or daughter or other relative of the deceased dog look at you with the same eyes or eerily slap its food bowl around to get your attention in the same way. We take comfort in such observations. We know good genes were conveyed and a little bit of Pal was passed along.
However, most dog owners and dog lovers cannot take such comfort. Their dogs left no progeny, but they did give a most important gift, the love they leave behind. This love sustains us, allows us to add a new dog to the family, makes us decide to keep a lonely puppy that was never claimed out of the whelping box, allows us to risk the pain of loss again. Some say a dog really is love. They're right.
Sleep well, Pal.
ABC National Specialty
Don't forget the American Boxer Club national specialty, May 8 through 12 at the Holiday Inn in Frederick, Md. A seminar for breeders and judges is scheduled for the afternoon of May 9. We look forward to seeing you!
Stephanie Abraham
P. O. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264
