Mates,

Today we had to say good-bye to our 14 ½ yr old maize (not yellow) lab named Maude.  Any dog owner will tell you that is a sad day and because our K-9 companions are much more short-lived than we are, nearly all dog owners know how that feels.  Maude was our family dog whom all the kids had grown up with and who proudly displayed her blue 'M Go Blue' collar every day of her life.   

Beyond the collar and her natural maize color, Maude was named after one of the first women to ever graduate from U of M back in the 1800's, and first of 5 generations of our family (so far) to attend our favorite school.   Yes, Maude was a Michigan dog.   Maude was sweet, beautiful, and wicked smart.   On the farm all of the animals must have a job.  Maude's job was technically as a bird hunter, which she did well.   But Maude had other talents:  She amazed us in a pinch and turned out to be a tremendous sheep herding dog.  She was very helpful tracking deer, too.   Beyond that, she was as sweet of a family dog as you could ever want.  So sweet that if you had wanted to burglarize our farm, she would've licked the burglar's hand and opened the door for him if she could.  'Guard dog' was not in her repertoire. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/egwvrqFGn9s634kv7

 

Loved by the kids, able to roam free on the farm, but she couldn't outrun father time.  Her elder years were less active, but she never lost her sweetness and I'm pretty sure she could've knocked out a decent SAT score if asked.   Late this summer she started losing weight and just wasn't 'right'.   You all know what that means.  We took her in to the vet who told us cancer was there.  So just before the ohio game she had a 5 lb tumor taken out of her.  Not a typo.  5 lbs.   We knew her time was short but at least she got to watch another ohio beatdown with all of us.  She recovered quickly, periscoped up in her health, but time was short.   After the New Year she stopped eating even when her favorite things and 'people food' was offered, time was indeed short.  

Dogs aren't as important as kids, but man, they sure are important. They have an intellect, loyalty, and emotion that surpass all other animals.  They attach to you, love you, want to help if they can, and we've all heard tales of dogs crossing states to find their masters.   So when you watch your beautiful pup go from 85 lbs of exuberant health to 39 lbs of struggling sweetness, it pulls on your heart.  Knowing what was coming we took turns sitting with her this weekend, and all the kids came home to do the same.  We petted her, tried to feed her what she might be interested in, but we knew...time was very, very short.  

And today, that time ended.   I buried her just before sunset in a driving rain up on a hill overlooking the farm.  The kids call that place 'Plymouth Plantation' and they have spent many a day up there, shaded by tall maple trees, building forts and playing with Maude.  I thought she'd want to keep a watch on us.

Life really is a miracle, much more than subatomic particles and electricity.  Things like the personalities of your pup can't be accounted for in a chemistry lab.  Enjoy what life you have and those around you, including your dogs.  And I don't know if there'll be dogs in heaven, I'll save that discussion for some other forum and theological debate, but I can tell you that I sure hope they are. 

I know you love your pup(s) and you've lived through these same things.  And your Michigan dog is (or was) every bit as wonderful.   It's just that today, today was the day ours departed.

Go Maude, Go Blue.  Our hearts are heavy, but we are all nevertheless grateful to have had Maude, a very Michigan dog. 

 

XM