Tango is a good old boy
Tango is dying. He is the sweetest dog anyone could ever have. When we got him, he'd been living in a tiny back yard, almost no room for such a big dog.
He came to live with us and he herded children and he loved us all so much. He stood between us and anyone that he thought was a danger.
He hated our next door neighbor.
He hated Terry Bush.
He hated just about anyone that we didn't love and accept immediately.
He was social and he was protective.
He's 14, and he's on his last legs.
He's blind in one eye and he can't stand up.
A few months ago, someone came in our yard and stole our mower. Tango was embarrassed. He can bark, but he has such a hard time getting up.
I just went and loved on him. GOD he's old. He's gray around the muzzle. He can hardly get up any more. I took him some choice food, and he wasn't able to eat it. Mark blended it, and I took it to him again and he didn't want to eat. I poured a bit in his bowl and he lapped it up, and said "Mommy that was good." I poured some more and he lapped it up. I chased off the puppy who thought that looked like some good stuff. I fed him all there was and he lapped it all up.
I've been out to see him lately. He can't get up, but I rub him hard and he makes almost a purring noise because it feels good. He has loved us all so much. He's been loved by many children and by us. He didn't have children when we met him. He had a sour lady and an unhappy man. When he came to live with us, he got to run and play and love so very very much.
He's been in bad shape for a long time. Three years ago if we'd taken him to the vet they would have put him down. He got the bad part of his German Shepherd mix, the hip problems. There were times when we thought he'd not make it, but he would make it.
The puppy came a few months ago. Prince is so full of himself. He didn't do well at his previous home because he wouldn't shut up. Tango told him when it was appropriate to bark. Tango would get up and pounce the pup when he wasn't acting right. Tango told him to love his people. Tango taught him when it was time to bark and who to bark at. He seemed to be revived by the pup in some ways.
I look at him tonight and I see that he's not long with us. I go and love him up and he looks at me with such love and devotion. He protected me and my children so many times. He KNEW who his family was. And he KNEW who was not and needed to be run off.
I love the old dog.
No one can tell me that animals don't have souls. Tango is a good one. I don't want him to go, but I don't want him to stay either. I want him running in that eternal field, chasing tennis balls and licking his children and scaring off bad people.
And when I get to that eternal field, I sure hope I see him.
November 24, 2004
Tango died this morning. . . Rachael brought Tinker in for a bath and said that Tinker was crying.
He came to live with us and he herded children and he loved us all so much. He stood between us and anyone that he thought was a danger.
He hated our next door neighbor.
He hated Terry Bush.
He hated just about anyone that we didn't love and accept immediately.
He was social and he was protective.
He's 14, and he's on his last legs.
He's blind in one eye and he can't stand up.
A few months ago, someone came in our yard and stole our mower. Tango was embarrassed. He can bark, but he has such a hard time getting up.
I just went and loved on him. GOD he's old. He's gray around the muzzle. He can hardly get up any more. I took him some choice food, and he wasn't able to eat it. Mark blended it, and I took it to him again and he didn't want to eat. I poured a bit in his bowl and he lapped it up, and said "Mommy that was good." I poured some more and he lapped it up. I chased off the puppy who thought that looked like some good stuff. I fed him all there was and he lapped it all up.
I've been out to see him lately. He can't get up, but I rub him hard and he makes almost a purring noise because it feels good. He has loved us all so much. He's been loved by many children and by us. He didn't have children when we met him. He had a sour lady and an unhappy man. When he came to live with us, he got to run and play and love so very very much.
He's been in bad shape for a long time. Three years ago if we'd taken him to the vet they would have put him down. He got the bad part of his German Shepherd mix, the hip problems. There were times when we thought he'd not make it, but he would make it.
The puppy came a few months ago. Prince is so full of himself. He didn't do well at his previous home because he wouldn't shut up. Tango told him when it was appropriate to bark. Tango would get up and pounce the pup when he wasn't acting right. Tango told him to love his people. Tango taught him when it was time to bark and who to bark at. He seemed to be revived by the pup in some ways.
I look at him tonight and I see that he's not long with us. I go and love him up and he looks at me with such love and devotion. He protected me and my children so many times. He KNEW who his family was. And he KNEW who was not and needed to be run off.
I love the old dog.
No one can tell me that animals don't have souls. Tango is a good one. I don't want him to go, but I don't want him to stay either. I want him running in that eternal field, chasing tennis balls and licking his children and scaring off bad people.
And when I get to that eternal field, I sure hope I see him.
November 24, 2004
Tango died this morning. . . Rachael brought Tinker in for a bath and said that Tinker was crying.