Ted the Red Heeler: Gone FOUR YEARS already? - Daily Pet Photography Event - Day 378
Teddy!!!!
Ted
was our neighbor's Red Heeler. He was two years old in 2000 when we moved into this house. He regarded it as his territory, and the previous owners had granted him that privilege, so we did too.
We bought two collie puppies who grew up under Ted's thumb. Blaise soon outsized Ted, 120 pounds of Jumbo Collie to 35 pounds of Red Heeler, but Ted was a cyborg with a rocket routine. He terrorized Blaise. Bailey, who never exceeded 85 pounds, was not impressed. She held her own against Ted.
Our dogs grew old and died in 2012 and 2013, but Ted was still raging. He had settled down a lot, but he was crafty and too smart for anyone's own good all the days of his life.
Not until January 2015 did he really start losing steam. His owners were on vacation, leaving Ted in our care. Tough little Teddy who'd lived outdoors on the coldest days had become a primarily indoor dog, and he even had a smart looking black Harley jacket now to keep him warm when the snow fell over the squirrel tracks in the yard.
Oh Teddy!
I do not feel like describing his descent in those final weeks. (I'd been carrying Ted in and out of our house for him to do his duty, and he would be embarrassed even if I leave it just that. Oh the indignity of aging!)
He was amazingly light and easy to carry.
The day his owners came home, they made the bitter call of putting him down.
Teddy lives on in our hearts,
and I swear I sometimes see him flash by in pursuit of that squirrel...
"Call of the Wild" image taken with my Samsung 6 from my second-edition copy of the Jack London novel.
Ted always reminded me of Buck.
You've written about Ted before, and it's clear not only how much you loved him, despite his foibles, but also how much you respected him. That speaks volumes.
I've loved every dog I've ever had, quite a few over the years, as well as a number that have belonged to friends and neighbors.
But, as special as each and every dog is, in his or her own right, like people, a few will always stand out amongst the rest.
Like my Ebony, Ted was obviously one of these, and he seems to have been an amazing little guy. Who had no clue that anyone could ever consider him anything other than the alpha he clearly was. ;-)
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LOL! You nailed it: Ted had no room in his brain for the concept that anyone saw him as anything less than The Alpha and the Omega!
He showed up in my Facebook feed today under "Four Years Ago Today" and it launched a whole onslaught over All-Over-Again Ted memories.
Laughing again that you mention respect, and thinking Bobi the Bad (our cat) is certain he NEVER gets enough of that. ;)
Thanks for reading and commenting! You're the best!!
As are you, my friend, and as are your posts! ;-)
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Hi @carolkean,
Thanks so much for partaking in #dailypetphotography! Please follow @dpet for upcoming events.
Our discord channel is up and running, come on over and say hi, lots of avil pet owners are awaiting you there.
https://discord.gg/GYrnsNm
What a lovely boy xx
We have a new puppy. A Lab. 9 weeks.
I grew up with a Lab cross.
This is a story that was dedicated to our old dog and growing up with him.
He lived 17 years.
I spent the last night with our boy when I was 14 and he was 17.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63102.Toby#
Hardcover, first published in 1993 by Houghton Mifflin and again in 1994 - that must mean it was selling well! The author dedicates the story to your dog? That is awesome! And sad, of course.
Toby is an old dog--and sick, too. He's going blind and deaf and sometimes he smells bad. The family is gentle and loving with him--except for Sara. Margaret Wild has written a deeply affecting story about the loss of a beloved pet that explores the many ways of loving and grieving and adapting to change. Sounds like "Sara" is a fictional version of you with the girl lacking patience for the dog because CONFLICT. (And yes I know "torture the protagonist" doesn't literally mean physical torture but emotional distress and big obstacles to overcome).
Your new Lab puppy will be so much fun!! May you have many good years together before the infirmities of age set in.