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Spencer was my very first dog and a Christmas present to my husband. My husband had waited very patiently for almost two years before I would relent to get a dog. I grew up with cats and couldn’t fathom having a dog, especially a large breed like a golden retriever. I also didn’t think it would be fair to have a large dog in our small townhouse, so after we moved into our first house, I made up a “gift card” at Christmastime and we picked up Spencer from the breeder in April.
We got to choose which dog we wanted from the litter. The first two they brought to us seemed timid and shy, not wanting to get too close and very unsure of who we were. Hubby wanted a dog that was ultra friendly and the minute Spencer walked into the room, we knew he filled that requirement. He came to us immediately wanting to play and kept knocking his head on the underside of a desk they had in the room. Not sure why that goofy move sealed the deal, but it did.
We had 13 years with Spencer before he passed away on March 1, 2008. We’ve had our share of him chewing on dishtowels, stealing toys and eating grass. He even ate 2 chocolate cakes! Nothing was safe on our countertops because he would just stand on his hind legs and reach for anything his paw would touch.
His death came very quickly. He had osteoarthritis and was on medication but one day he just started limping and walking down the stairs very slowly. Within a week he went from moving slowly to losing all strength in his front legs. Miraculously, I was able to get him into the car to the vet’s office but the steroids they gave him just didn’t help.
Luckily we were able to go and visit with him one last time, even though we were all slobbering fools. The girls haven’t known life without him and even I, the one-time cat lover, had gotten used to him being at my feet all the time.
Now we’re embarking on a new adventure with our new puppy. It’s just like having a newborn again and it’s fun to see how this little one has found all of Spencer’s favorite spots to lay already.
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April 17th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
So sorry for your loss. I hope the new pup can fill those big paw prints he left behind!