Thursday, March 11, 2010
A Boy and His Dog
I remember always hearing people say "a boy needs a dog." I never understood what that meant until I watched the most beautiful dog/boy relationship with my son Chance and his Chilidog. Chance suffered with an extreme dog phobia. We aren't really sure where that fear came from. From birth to about 5 years old my stepmother babysat him when I worked. She had a dog and Chance seemed to get along with it okay. But once he was no longer with Cleo the fears set in. I remember at around the age of two, I was shopping with him at Target and put a shirt with dogs on it in the cart and he promptly removed it and hung it back on the rack. I put it back in the cart and he put it back on the rack! After several tries I gave in....that is my earliest clue there was going to be a dog problem.
Chance always loved to watch movies with dogs but would panic if we even drove by a dog. He did not want to be afraid of dogs so he asked for a dog. It was our first year of homeschooling. So I told him if he did well with his end of year test I would buy him a dog. So along came Chilidog. I had never had a dog before. I remember his first week at home. That puppy cried all night long to be with us. I was pregnant with Shepard. I remember thinking how in the world did I get talked into this? No one told me they cry like babies, I am never going to sleep again!!
That little puppy soon worked his way into all of our hearts. As much as Chance loved Chili and enjoyed watching him from afar he still could not bring himself to connect with him. Five years after we brought Chili home, Chance finally found his way to his dog.
The most beautiful friendship unfolded right before my eyes. Everywhere Chance went, Chilidog was there. If Chance was in the shower, Chili layed on the floor of the bathroom and waited for him. Chili slept with Chance at night, slept next to Chance's feet while he did his school work, he was on Chance' lap while he watched tv. When we had snow, Chance carried him outside like a baby, because Chili hated the cold, rain, and snow.
During the last big snowstorm we had Chili protected his boy. Chance had gone outside to play in the snow with Jacob, of course Chili went because Chance went. The boys and a friend had taken an old camper shell the previous owners left and made it a fort for Nerf Wars. Chance decided to hide from Jacob and went underneath the camper shell. He got stuck in there. Somehow with the snow still falling he got into a position he could not lift the shell back up. Jacob came inside and reported he was calling for Chance and did not get an answer. Chili sat between the house and where Chance was and barked and barked. I thought he was trying to find Chance, silly me, he knew where his boy was. I had called Rion in the room and was starting to get a bit freaked out that we did not know were Chance was when Rion's cell phone ring. It was Chance calling his dad from his cell phone to ask for help. Thank God he had that cell phone. But I know even if he didn't, Chili was on the job. When Rion went outside and Chili saw him coming, he kept barking and lead Rion to Chance. I was so touched by Chili's love for his boy. I had a sense of peace, he will always protect Chance.
Last Monday, March 1, 2010 on Chance's 13th birthday Chilidog did something completely out of character....he left the backyard and ran down the driveway and into the street. He was hit by a car. We tried to help him. We took him to the emergency vet, but there was too much damage and he had to be put down. This time I was so impressed with Chance. He stayed strong for Chili until the end. He held Chili and talked to him the whole way to the vet. When we knew what had to be done, he stayed strong for Chili. He stayed with Chili until the end, telling him how much he loved him and what a good puppy he is. I know Chili was comforted by having his boy with him. Chance held it together until she told us Chili had passed and then he let out the deep pain he was feeling.
It was the hardest thing as a parent I think I have gone through yet. To watch this child who had been so terrified of dogs and had come to this place of the sheer love of his dog, to lose his best friend. And of all days, on his birthday....I will never know why Chili wouldn't stop when called that night and ran into that road. I will never know why that day, Chance's 13th birthday, when we are supposed to be celebrating his growing towards manhood, he had to lose his best friend. But I will be forever grateful Chance and Chili had that last beautiful year together.
Chance always loved to watch movies with dogs but would panic if we even drove by a dog. He did not want to be afraid of dogs so he asked for a dog. It was our first year of homeschooling. So I told him if he did well with his end of year test I would buy him a dog. So along came Chilidog. I had never had a dog before. I remember his first week at home. That puppy cried all night long to be with us. I was pregnant with Shepard. I remember thinking how in the world did I get talked into this? No one told me they cry like babies, I am never going to sleep again!!
That little puppy soon worked his way into all of our hearts. As much as Chance loved Chili and enjoyed watching him from afar he still could not bring himself to connect with him. Five years after we brought Chili home, Chance finally found his way to his dog.
The most beautiful friendship unfolded right before my eyes. Everywhere Chance went, Chilidog was there. If Chance was in the shower, Chili layed on the floor of the bathroom and waited for him. Chili slept with Chance at night, slept next to Chance's feet while he did his school work, he was on Chance' lap while he watched tv. When we had snow, Chance carried him outside like a baby, because Chili hated the cold, rain, and snow.
During the last big snowstorm we had Chili protected his boy. Chance had gone outside to play in the snow with Jacob, of course Chili went because Chance went. The boys and a friend had taken an old camper shell the previous owners left and made it a fort for Nerf Wars. Chance decided to hide from Jacob and went underneath the camper shell. He got stuck in there. Somehow with the snow still falling he got into a position he could not lift the shell back up. Jacob came inside and reported he was calling for Chance and did not get an answer. Chili sat between the house and where Chance was and barked and barked. I thought he was trying to find Chance, silly me, he knew where his boy was. I had called Rion in the room and was starting to get a bit freaked out that we did not know were Chance was when Rion's cell phone ring. It was Chance calling his dad from his cell phone to ask for help. Thank God he had that cell phone. But I know even if he didn't, Chili was on the job. When Rion went outside and Chili saw him coming, he kept barking and lead Rion to Chance. I was so touched by Chili's love for his boy. I had a sense of peace, he will always protect Chance.
Last Monday, March 1, 2010 on Chance's 13th birthday Chilidog did something completely out of character....he left the backyard and ran down the driveway and into the street. He was hit by a car. We tried to help him. We took him to the emergency vet, but there was too much damage and he had to be put down. This time I was so impressed with Chance. He stayed strong for Chili until the end. He held Chili and talked to him the whole way to the vet. When we knew what had to be done, he stayed strong for Chili. He stayed with Chili until the end, telling him how much he loved him and what a good puppy he is. I know Chili was comforted by having his boy with him. Chance held it together until she told us Chili had passed and then he let out the deep pain he was feeling.
It was the hardest thing as a parent I think I have gone through yet. To watch this child who had been so terrified of dogs and had come to this place of the sheer love of his dog, to lose his best friend. And of all days, on his birthday....I will never know why Chili wouldn't stop when called that night and ran into that road. I will never know why that day, Chance's 13th birthday, when we are supposed to be celebrating his growing towards manhood, he had to lose his best friend. But I will be forever grateful Chance and Chili had that last beautiful year together.
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