David Kitz had a charming story about his dog, “Champ,” this morning. It brought to mind all the many dogs we’ve had as pets over the years. Four years ago we said goodbye to our twelve year old Llewellin Setter, Gage. He was a different kind of dog. His breed alone wasn’t well known even to our vet. He soon became a puppy school dropout because of his obstinate behavior. He was a challenge in so many ways. His exuberance and ADHD (A darned hyper dog) syndrome, caused a torn rotator cuff for my husband, lots of accidents to clean up after and sometimes a total frustration. He was the first dog we ever had that took so long to get used to us. I know we’re a different breed at my house, but we’ve always managed to relate well to dogs. It took Gage almost seven years to like us.

We didn’t stop loving him, however. Even the day we returned from Easter Sunday church to discover that he’d eaten a whole bag of jellybeans including the bag. The remnants of this escapade wound up on our carpeting in technicolor. He was notorious for grabbing food from the kitchen counter before it had been cooked. Things like cookie dough, thawing chicken breasts, a pound of hamburger and other assorted goodies. Most dogs like doggie biscuits or treats, but Gage preferred a roll of paper towels or some toilet paper. We figured he must have a fiber deficiency.

He was a frisky dog too. Always on the move and ready for action. When we moved from what was our home of 24 years, he seemed to enjoy his new digs, even though he didn’t hesitate to pick a fight with one of the neighborhood feral cats. No damage was done, but an insatiable desire for cat fur was instilled into his brain. He slowed down quite a bit in our new surroundings. Maybe it was because he was then nine years old and naturally was aging along with us.

It’s amazing how much our pets become an integral part of our lives. They nuzzle their way in as puppies and chart new territory with you, always at your side or sitting by your feet or on your lap – often sleeping in bed beside you or walking you to the bathroom and staying there until you’re done. When they come to the end of their lives, we find it difficult to say goodbye almost as much as sending off a member of the family. Unlike family members, they have something that humans don’t possess. It’s called unconditional love – a love that isn’t always deserved – a love that lasts until the end of their lives.

We’ve not had a new dog since Gage and probably won’t now that we’re winding down the later years of our own lives, but if you ever have the opportunity to share your life with a dog, I would highly recommend it. I know there will be many, many dogs waiting for us at the gates to heaven when we arrive.