You were the puppy I was taught never to pick from the litter...but because you were so frightened, so shy, the underdog, so to speak, how could I resist?  You were at my side 24/7 the first 6 months of your life, and as you gained confidence, a protector began to emerge.  You were so kind to your furry siblings, even with all your health problems from the beginning, your allergies, your bad elbow, the increasing weakness in your hind quarters, you never got crabby or nippy with them.



Our lives evolved from you protecting me, to me protecting you....being ready to catch you if your rear end were about to go out, asprin for that pesky tendon in your shoulder, or the arthritus in your elbows.  Keeping the other animals from knocking you over...shoveling a path in the snow so you could still help me with the horses...which you loved so much to do.  



I knew the decision day was coming, though, I didn't know when.  I tried to prepare myself by loving you harder in the last months.  I had expected a slow decline, but that wasn't to be...one day you were your old self, and the next you were in unrelenting pain...three days we held out hope that it was passing, but I could not bear to hear your crys, your imploring looks to me to help you.  So the day was at hand, and I hadn't prepared myself nearly so well as I'd thought.  We pulled the truck up to the front door, so you wouldn't have to be lifted into the back, and took you to the vet.  Kind woman came to the truck so you didn't have to be lifted out...your last gesture to her was to curl your lips, saying "This is MY truck, stay away"...then you licked my fact and stuck your head between my arm and my side and went to sleep.  I miss you so much, my BO BO...