DogMom: Our Sweet Gus

Fourteen years ago I walked into a 7-11 and found a cute puppy wandering the candy aisle trying his best to sniff all the sweet things on the bottom shelf. That funny little guy soon became an important part of our household, bringing us smiles, laughter and so much love. 

Last week, with great sadness, Wayne and I had to say goodbye to that sweet, grown-up puppy. Gus was such a good boy and so very patient with the other dogs. He was the last of the original gang of five (Bogey, Annie, Gus, Buster & Hobbit). Losing him was like losing the others all over again. It's the end of an amazing part of our lives. For several years those five dogs made our home crazy, chaotic, messy, loud and busy -  and we loved every minute of it. And, oh the joy and laughter they brought us! 

Every single dog had his/her own unique personality and quirks. Gus was the sweet and sensitive one. We'd had him longer than any other dog. At 14 1/2 he still managed to wag his tail, have a good appetite [granted, we fed him rotisserie chicken with warm broth], enjoy periodic walks down into the woods to smell "woodsy" things, and even enjoy playtime with puppy Doc. What he loved most was being with us and taking naps on our bed. 

After losing Hobbit and Buster last year, we were concerned about Gus. He was thirteen years old and limped around with arthritis. We knew we wouldn't have long with him. But the blessing was that he ended up having his best year yet! He seemed to thrive knowing that he was now Top Dog. Although he slept a lot, he appeared happier and more relaxed. He started enjoying his stuffed toys again and lavished in the extra one-on-one time DogDad and I were now able to give him.

When we brought Doc home four months ago we weren't sure how Gus would react. If he didn't like Doc, then we would've just considered it a foster situation and looked for a good home for the pup. Much to our relief, Gus loved that little frisky puppy! We noticed Gus was more alert, taking fewer naps, wagging his tail more and even playing and nuzzling little Doc. Gus was so patient with him and you could tell that Doc just thought he was the best! 

It was a good year for Gus, indeed. For that, as well as having fourteen years of looking at that sweet face, DogDad and I are very grateful and blessed.

Dear Gus, 

You finally get to meet Lindsey, our first dog. He was so very sweet, too. You will like one another. Please tell Lindsey, Bogey, Annie, Buster, Hobbit & Huck we miss them. We will see you all again someday.

We Love You, 

DogMom & DogDad

 Gus was a gentle, sweet soul and we will miss him dearly. 

Beautiful Gus.

  

Gus sleeping on our bed. His favorite!

Such a sweetheart!

Gus & Abby at sunrise, Pawleys Island, September 2013

We have a very similar picture taken 10 years earlier of Gus and Annie. 

I will post it as soon as I can find it.

DogMom & her sweet Gus, November 2012

DogDad and his big boy Gus, Christmas 2003 or 2004

Gus had a beautiful smile.

A happy Gus enjoying one of his favorite toys.

Our sweet angel boy.

Our our beloved Bogey, Annie, Gus, Buster & Hobbit, Christmas 2006

Doc: Hi! I'm new here!

Hi! I'm Doc and two days ago I found my forever home! I have a mommy and daddy, a brother and sister, and a really big yard to play in! I'm too young to write, so my new mommy is doing it for me. I call her Momma. She is married to a very nice man who is my new daddy. I call him Pops.

A friend told them about me. I call her my Fairy DogMother. Another friend showed them my picture and Momma says Pops and she were smitten. The next morning Pops went to the animal shelter to meet me. I wasn't there at the time, so Pops and Momma came back later that afternoon. They both fell in love and so did I! They told the shelter people that they were going to "foster" me. That must be another word for "adopt" because that is just what they did. I heard Momma say, "In this house, fostering means forever!"

Pops and Momma said they were concerned how Gus might react to me. They thought I might bother him because he is older. Well, turns out Gus likes me! He even lets me play and snuggle with him. I love my big brother. He is very sweet and patient. My sister Abby is not as warm and inviting. I try to get her to play with me, but she doesn't seem very interested. She did let me follow her down to the lake yesterday to play ball. I think my charm will eventually win her over.

There was a little party for me when I came home from the shelter. Some nice people took turns holding me and playing with me. I also met a nice dog named Tom. He is BIG! I hope I grow up to be like him. We look a lot alike. He is a yellow lab. Everybody thinks I'm a golden retriever mixed with yellow lab. We don't know exactly how old I am right now, but the kind shelter people seem to think I'm between six and eight weeks old. Momma says I'm PURE puppy. I'm sure that's a good thing!

I found out that I was named after someone special. Doc was a very dear friend to Momma and Pops. He passed away a few years ago and they miss him very much. They said he had a sparkle in his eye and that I have that same glimmer. Sounds like Doc was a pretty neat guy. His first and middle names were Doctor Arnold, so that will be mine as well. He wasn't a doctor. He was a helicopter pilot. His mother said she always wanted a doctor in the family, so that's what she named him. Pops and Momma like that story. I do, too.

Momma and Pops said I wasn't planned, but that none of their doggies ever are. They feel like God brings them the ones that need them most. And the ones they need most, too.

I look forward to learning more about my new home and family. I'll be sure to have Momma write in The Doggy Diary for me again soon!

Puppy love and licks,
Doc

These pictures were taken at the animal shelter. Momma calls them my "school pictures." (The name of the shelter is Oconee Regional Humane Society. Here is their website: orhspets.org)

This is when Pops and I first met. As you can see I am very happy!

I like Momma's ear.

This is my new friend Tom. He is very big. His tail is a fun toy.

Gus let me snuggle with him my first night here.

I so sleepy.

My yard has lots of soft, fluffy pine mulch and cool shade. 

It also has big trees, plenty of grass and even a lake. I can't wait to explore it all!

I found a great spot for napping.

Abby: Things to smile about :-)

It's been a long time since I've written, but I'm happy to be back. Mommy, Daddy, Gus and I are still saddened by the loss of our dear Hobbit and sweet Buster, so we haven't much felt like writing in The Doggy Diary the past year. The other day, though, Mommy took a picture of me that really made her smile. :-) She said we should share it with others.

So, I went to Home Depot with Mommy to help her pick out some flowers. There were so many pretty ones and I got to see them up close because she put me in the cart. At first I wasn't sure what to think, but when all the nice people shopping stopped to say "hello" to me, I decided that I was going to enjoy the ride! We were successful in finding a big pot of red, white and purple petunias. Aren't they pretty? I think my smile shows how pleased I am with our selection!

You might like an update on Gus. He is doing so great! He turned 14 in April! He enjoys playing with his stuffed toys, taking naps and eating yummy doctored-up dinners of healthy canned dog food and warm chicken broth mixed with some real chicken or fish sometimes added in by Daddy. I'm happy to report that I also benefit from the special "Gus-Can-Have-Whatever-He-Wants-Because-He's-14-Years-Old" Diet. ;) Another reason Gus is feeling better these days is because he had surgery on both of his ears a few months ago. He can hear a little bit now, and it's obvious they don't hurt any more. Here he is with one of his favorite toys, Puff Dragon! Doesn't he look awesome for 14?! He makes Mommy and Daddy smile all the time. :-)

I hope to be back more often. Now that it's summertime I bet I'll have more adventures to share!

xoxo, 

Abby Grace

DogMom: A new chapter.

It's been nearly six months since we lost our dear Hobbit and sweet Buster. Writing about it has proved difficult. Difficult because I don't even like to think about that time. DogDad and I can talk about the quirky and silly things that Hobbit and Buster used to do and the times they made us smile - which was everyday. Several times a day. What we don't discuss is what happened on August 7 and August 9 of 2012. To revisit that period of time would be too painful.

We instead choose to focus on the joy that Gus and Abby bring us today. Gus is nearing his 14th birthday (April) and any special attention we can give him is considered top priority. That usually means extra rubs, hugs, kisses and rotisserie chicken. Abby continues to keep us busy with her crazy antics and unceasing energy. She takes her self-assigned non-stop job of protecting our property very seriously. Right now we have a little family unit that seems to be working. It's small for us, but it seems right. Gus deserves some quiet in his golden years and we want to give him that. We do know, however, that we will eventually get another dog. That's what we do and who we are. We are dog people. 

I recently started volunteering at the local humane society (Oconee Regional Humane Society). During my most recent visit to the facility I was charged with the duty of playing with three puppies. A pretty good gig to get. They had been cooped up in a run for a couple of hours, so they needed to get out and do their puppy thing. That was good medicine for my soul. Seeing small, fuzzy, energetic and curious little doggies exploring their surroundings gave me a feeling of hope. Thinking about those little puppies makes me realize that there will be a time when the mourning will be less painful. I hope. There will soon be a time to rescue new dogs and bring into our home. A whole new chapter. 

Next month marks one year since DogDad and I packed up Gus, Buster, Hobbit and Abby and moved to Georgia. In two weeks we will be selling our house in West Virginia, the home where we raised a total of seven dogs through the years. Bogey, Annie, Gus, Buster, Hobbit, Abby and Huck. A lot of memories. It's bittersweet, but we trust in God and the plans he has for us. Good days are to come. Sad days. Trying days. But it's time for a new chapter and, by the grace of God, we have hope.

As part of my healing process, I have created a Facebook page dedicated to rescuing dogs and encouraging spay and neuter. Dogs are God's most loyal creatures. Dogs love us unconditionally. They deserve that love in return. I hope you will visit and "Like" the page called For The Love Of God and Dog.

Until next time,

DogMom