Where are Cheryl and Dennis?: May 2018

Buddy's Story

May 14,2018

Today I took Buddy to the vet to be put down. He would have been 17 in November. Not the happiest day for me. He was my shadow and my buddy. I will never know if it was the right time but I do know he is no longer in pain.

In 2001 we moved into a new house south of Sheboygan. Alex was transitioning from grade school to middle school. I finally convinced Dennis that we should get a dog for Alex to keep him company in the new house. In reality I was the one that wanted a dog and getting one for Alex was a good excuse.

We had to be particular on the breed since Dennis is allergic to dogs that shed. A few days after the decision we saw an ad in the paper for a 7 month old Miniature Schnauzer for sale. We contacted the owners and made arrangements to look at him. After Dennis spent some time with him to make sure he was OK with his allergies we decided to take Murphy home. I remember trying to pick him up to put him in the car and he tried to bite me. Sheila and Alex decided to change his name to Buddy.

At first we did not allow him in the living room of our new house but that did not last long, go figure. He was supposed to be Alex's dog but alas they did not bond well. I took him to obedience class. It was during these classes that his German stubbornness first began to show. He did not like being told what to do but eventually learned to sit, down and a reluctant come.

Most dogs can't wait to go for a walk. Not Buddy! At first he was enthusiastic for the walk but as soon as you reached the end of the driveway or made him go the way you wanted he tucked his tail and just poked along behind you. Until he saw another dog and then he wanted to attack them. He especially did not like big yellow dogs. And as is often the case with a lot of smaller dogs he was not afraid to take on a dog even if it was 3 times bigger than him.

When Buddy was about ten Sheila got a Boston Terrier puppy, Baxter. Buddy did not want anything to do with that little rug rat. Baxter often wanted to play and every once and awhile they would chase each other around the house. If Baxter got too annoying and invaded Buddy's space he would put Baxter in his place.

Buddy ended up bonding with me and I guess I was his pack leader along with Dennis. He would often growl if one of the kids tried to pick him up even when they got older. He did not like children and would growl and sometimes snap at them when they tried to pet him. I could not let him alone when kids were around.

Despite this he was a great dog and we loved him. He was always so happy to see us when we came in the door even if we where gone for a few minutes, his little tail wagging a mile a minute. He was my buddy and would follow me around the house. If Dennis came home without me he would search the house looking for me. Sometimes I would come home and hide on him and he would run everywhere looking for me until he found my hiding spot. He was my driving companion when I drove up to my parents. My mom was always happy to see him and loved having him sleep on her lap. He was happiest curled up on a blanket on someones lap.

The last few years he really slowed down. He could no longer jump up on the couch. His hearing and eyesight deteriorated. His mobility decreased but he would still want to challenge other dogs. He started to have more accidents in the house and would even pee in his kennel. I started putting diaper on him. I was putting off the inevitable, telling myself that he was OK but you could see he was not comfortable. At one point Dennis asked me when was the last time I saw him wag his tail. I realized it had been a while, perhaps even years. I then realized that my stubborn little Schnauzer was probably not very happy and was probably in pain. I would have preferred that he pass of natural causes but could not stand to see him in pain anymore.

It is hard knowing I will no longer be able to pet him and feel that warm body cuddled up on my lap. Or having him follow me around the house and be my traveling companion. Just like he used to look for me I will be expecting him to be here. I held him in my lap when they administered the initial anesthetic and then euthanize him. I was able to tell him good bye and thank him for being my “Buddy.”