Just a Dog

When a pet dog dies, and people such as me are heartbroken, I've heard it said..."What's the big deal? It's just a dog." I'll get back to that thought later. But this post is going to be a tribute to our big, little man. A Chihuahua named Woody who became very sick, very quickly recently, and had to be relieved of his suffering. Thank God we could actually do that for him. So if you are not a dog person, or not particularly ready to read my cathartic remembrances of a dog you likely didn't know, you may be excused to do other things. 

First, some background. In late 2008, wife Barb and I decided that we would try raising and showing chihuahuas as our new, later-in-life hobby. I had a chihuahua as a kid. And Barb fell in love with the breed when we rescued a former puppy-mill chihuahua, Maya, a few years earlier. In order to get started, we needed to acquire an AKC-registered puppy to train, and eventually put in the show ring. Barb would be the trainer/handler. I would provide support.  

As we started looking for a chihuahua breeder, we were initially interested in a female puppy. We found that acquiring one wasn't as easy as we thought. Show-quality females are not only more expensive, but for many reasons, including they can produce litters of other potential champions, breeders are reluctant to let them go. Barb finally identified a breeder in western Iowa who had a few smooth-coat puppies remaining from a litter that she was willing to sell...both males. We decided to make a road trip. 

Gayle Essex had priced the dogs she was willing to let go in a range that was more comfortable for us....and she had sent us some photos. When we arrived at Gayle's house for the "test-drive" visit, we still weren't sure if we were interested in a male puppy. Barb had never had a male dog for a pet in her life, and during our marriage none of our other pets were males. As you likely know, males can provide a "cleanliness-challenge" when living in the house...which our dogs always do.  ‘

During our "get acquainted" look-see, Gayle let us view the dogs she had as we sat in her kitchen. The little guys in question were playing in the next room. The puppy she called Nicolay was brought into the kitchen. Barb was mostly convinced that Nicolay was going to come home with us. As I remember, I needed a little more convincing. Gayle placed the tiny guy on my lap and somehow he immediately stretched out to lick my face as if to say, "You are my human mister, and I want to go home with you." Well, that did it. At that moment Barb and I looked at each other and knew Nicolay was going to be our first show dog. We had both quickly gotten over the female-only desire. We weren't big fans of the name, but we would figure out a new one because he was already very special in just a few minutes of visiting.

One of the things I seem to be somewhat good at is naming things...connecting context to a name. We knew that part of Nicolay's AKC formal name had to be Lamar's...the name of Gayle's kennel. After that, we could come up with the rest of it. We agreed that our goal for this dog was that he become a top show dog, and hopefully famous in that way. Probably more than a little ambitious on our part since we were beginners...but why shoot low? So we decided on Lamar's Journey to Fame. We also have a son, Stewart, in the acting business. Any journey to fame in that profession usually winds up in Hollywood. So our new puppy’s every-day name would be a form of Hollywood...and so he became Woody. We took a long road to get there, but it seemed to fit. 

At first, Woody the puppy was not interested in the training he received when Barb and I took him to the regular conformation, show-dog classes at Belle-City Kennel Club . He didn’t like being in the ring with the bigger dogs who trained at the same time. And he sure didn’t like the people who trained the dogs, and acted as show judges, in the classes. It was a definite struggle. He had his own idea of what he wanted to do, and that wasn’t it. Eventually, he settled down and became more willing to cooperate and Barb did pretty well with him at a number of shows. He started building points toward his AKC championship. He got close, but couldn’t seem to get the major wins needed from well-populated shows to nail it down.

So, we made the decision, difficult as it was, to send him out on the road with the wonderful dog trainer/handler Joyce Standish of Nebraska. She was, and still is, a well-respected and highly-successful show-dog handler who we came to know at our early-on shows. Not only that, but she was one of the more approachable and outgoing people in that profession. We needed her friendship, guidance and expertise at that time…and so did Woody. We knew our little guy, who had already become a wonderful companion and pet dog for us, would have to be turned over to Joyce for at least several weeks, and perhaps months, for him to gain his championship. But we knew he had it in him. Handing him off to go away like that was akin to seeing your first-born go off to college. Tears flowed.

Life without him being around then was pretty tough. But Joyce kept us updated on his travels and the shows in which he competed. Some went well...others, not so much. But Joyce definitely had the right touch for Woody…showing him who was boss and at the same time plenty of love. He responded for her. And after two months on the road we received a thrilling call. Joyce was in Pueblo, Colorado. She told us Woody had been judged Best of Winners in his chihuahua class at the Colorado Springs Kennel Club show on November 10^th 2013. A major win! And the second in two days. Our boy had earned his championship at age 5. Joyce had done it. Woody had done it. We all had gotten him the AKC champion designation he had always deserved.

Next up was bringing Hollywood back home. Barb and I couldn’t wait. But we were also a little worried about the way he would react to us after two months on the road. Joyce had become his new “master” and would have him at a show in Omaha where she was going to be handling other dogs. We decided to drive up to retrieve our new champion. It was a long weekend trip…getting there on a Saturday…staying the night…and then going to the show Sunday to pick up Woody. How would he be? Did he forget us? Would he be the same boy we had sent out with Joyce two months before?

When we arrived at the Omaha convention center, Joyce was busy elsewhere. But we found the area where she was set up and found the kennel in which our boy was staying. When Joyce came over to get him out so we could greet him, our worst fears were realized. For an agonizing length of time, he didn’t know us…apparently didn’t remember his former parents. Actually, it was only agonizing for Barb and me because it was only 15 or 20 seconds before his eyes lit up and he started jumping and squealing with excitement at seeing us. We both had moist eyes as we couldn’t wait to get our new champion back home. We will be forever grateful to Joyce for taking such great care of Woody…and, of course, making him a champion.

Prior to gaining his championship, Woody had performed one of the tasks we had intended for him when we began our new hobby…siring a litter of puppies. Shortly after acquiring Woody, we again connected with Gayle Essex to bring a female smooth-coat puppy onto our little team. Blanca got her name because she was mostly white with a few tan spots. Woody and Blanca produced our first litter in late 2012. The birthing process was a stressful time, especially for Barb, but Blanca was strong throughout  and produced five puppies. Unfortunately, as happens in this part of nature, only two survived long-term, and only one, Stanley (named after my boyhood hero Stan Musial) is still with us. Stan is a good boy, and carries Woody’s genetics, but is not top show quality and will not be a father. So, unfortunately, Woody’s breeding line in the chihuahua world will not survive.

After gaining his championship, we decided that pursuing further recognition for Woody in the show-dog world would not be in the cards. He, instead, would be the cover boy for our business cards, website, and other marketing of our show-dog hobby. He also became a fierce protector of the house and its occupants; barking at all potential intruders, mostly squirrels, that might be in his line of sight from the patio doors in our kitchen. Of course he also led the charge when it came to warning anyone who rang the doorbell. He was definitely “the leader of the pack”. Our pack has alternated between 6 and 8 chihuahuas through the years since we began our hobby. They live, breathe, eat and sleep with us in our Millstadt home. Crazy? Maybe, but we love it.

Most chihuahuas, and other smaller dogs, can live to be upwards of 20 years old. Unfortunately for him, and most definitely for us, Woody would not be with us more than 10-plus years. In late 2019, he began regurgitating for some unknown reason, mostly at night, or in the early morning. Trips to our terrific veterinarian Dr. Mike Harres did not reveal any specific cause other than possibly a case of mild gastritis. We tried some medications for his stomach that seemed to work at times, but the problem persisted. Other than the occasional bellyache for him, and clean-up job for us, Woody seemed to be happy and enjoying normal life. 

On the night of Tuesday, March 17^th (St. Patrick’s Day) 2020, Woody refused to engage in his usual round of licking my face before bedtime. I thought it was strange, but just chalked it up to him being extra tired. The next morning he wouldn’t, or couldn’t, eat his breakfast meal. That's when we knew this was a much bigger problem. He also became lethargic and refused the second meal of the day. We called Dr. Harres. The vet told us to keep an eye on him and bring him back in if it continued. It did. On Thursday of that week Woody received a shot of steroids, painkillers, fluids, and more, from the Doc in hopes of getting him back on track. Dr. Harres also gave us his prognosis. After x-rays, he suspected Woody had an incurable case of stomach cancer. Frustrating, because Barb is so conscientious about what our dogs are fed and giving them the best products available. Unfortunately, the "hopeful" shot didn’t help and we could tell by Friday morning that he was in such discomfort, and declining fast, that we had to make the call to the vet that no dog-lover ever wants to make. Woody was put out of his pain and misery at 3pm on March 20, 2020. If you have had to do this, you know the kind of emotional distress Barb and I were in at that time. As I write this, three days after, it all comes flooding back…and the tears flow again.

I believe that the lives of our domesticated animals are a gift from God that provide milestones in one's own life. They provide context to remind you of the good and difficult times in which they participated. They also provide examples of how to treat others, and how others should be treated. They brighten your life at the exact times when you most need comfort. The ten-and-a-half years that Woody was with us were great ones for Barb and I; and he was a major player in that belief. 

So, as to the earlier statement…”It’s just a dog”, I ask you..What sort of creature will:

-Greet you with wild excitement whenever you come home after being away?

-Fiercely protect you against all potential threats, no matter the size?

-Know exactly what time to wake you in the morning…every day without fail?

-Excitedly grab a toy and romp with it every time you say it’s time to go outside?  

-Proudly compete against others of its kind on your behalf?

-Take walks by your side with tail wagging uncontrollably?

-Sense when you’re unhappy and cuddle next to you to make it better?

-Be willing to obey your every command just because it’s you who’s commanding?

-Give you that special smile and bright face just to be near you at all times?

-And gently lick your face before bedtime every night?

Well…It’s just a dog…and, for us, his name was Woody.

Enjoy the treats in heaven until we see you again little man!