Farewell my Friend Pete

  Pete lost his battle with Pemphigus today.  The vet had been optimistic about his recovery but did mention that sometimes they can take a turn for the worse and not recover well if at all.  That's what happened with Pete.  He really looked like he was making a fine recovery after I brought him home from the vet.  After a few hours I let him out of his kennel for exercise and I could tell right away he wasn't doing well.  I immediately called my vet and he told me to bring Pete back in.  After more testing he found a raging infection and a very high white blood cell count along with other complications.  He said given Pete's age and the multitude of problems, it might be best to consider letting Pete go.  I saw this coming, and tried to prepare myself, but these things are never easy.  As with Dixie I and Chelsea, I was there holding Pete till the end.  These dogs did right by me for a very long time so comforting them at the end of their lives is the very least I could do. 
  Last Sunday at church I happend upon a verse I'd never seen before.  It says "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal..." Prov. 12:10a.  (The word "righteous" has a negative, upstartish connotation to it these days.  At one time that word referred to a person who revered the Lord and tried to do "right" by Him.  I don't consider myself righteous by today's standards but I'd like to think I try to do the right thing as best I can, as often as I can.)  Anyway, this verse stuck in my mind.  My guys were/are loyal to me and I have been loyal to them in their care and training.  When it is time to work, they are all business (most of the time! lol) and I really appreciate that in my dogs. When they are in the pen, I just let them be dogs and don't really interfere with their pecking order or the way they interact with each other but I do enjoy playing with them when they're not working. 
  I love what I do for a living.  I've always considered myself blessed beyond belief that I can do what I love and get paid for it.  (It's almost not like work!)  It's not alway fun, especially when there's mud, puddles and dirt and I'm trying to keep the dogs white for the show.  Or when Beau (who runs and runs like Forrest Gump through downtown Frisco, TX) runs off for hours, I'd rather be doing anything else but luring him home.  Or Pete does his famous "Wile E. Coyote" run through the back of the ring and will go anywhere but on his seat because he is too busy finding stuff to eat on the ground.  But these things happen to everyone who has dogs. You just keep going, that's all. At the end of the day, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do for a living.  And dogs like Pete make it even more interesting and fun and sometimes challenging.  But those are the best kind because I learn more about training dogs and how they think and act from the "Petes."
  Well, I did the best I could for Pete and so did the vet, but it just wasn't meant to be.  He had a nice long, healthy life and entertained lots of people.  I am glad he's not suffering anymore.  We miss him and we won't ever forget him!

"If the animal is not giving the trainer the behavior he is asking for, it is ALWAYS the trainer's fault." - Joanne Wilson