AMSTEL (A Birthday Tribute to a True Friend)

Our house felt empty and hopelessly quiet. We had lost our thirteen year old beagle, Bud, to a liver ailment just a few months before. My wife and I decided it was time to fill the void so we began searching for a new four-legged addition to the family and found a prospect about two hours away in Litchfield, Minnesota.

We arrived and as we walked in the door we were immediately surrounded by a dozen rambunctious and adorable beagle puppies. One of them was different, he was larger and obviously a few months older than the rest. The breeder explained the bigger one was born the previous December and was the last of his litter left, already nearly four months old. My wife fell in love instantly and later told me she picked him out because of a tiny white spot on the back of his neck.

Following a longstanding tradition of naming her dogs after beers, my wife named him Amstel. Amstel rode home with us in a cardboard box perched on the backseat of my car. The box was lined with a familiar smelling blanket to make the experience a little less traumatic for him. We then took him home to the Twin Cities on that dreary and cold March afternoon in 2007. That first night was rough, Amstel cried and kept us up most of the night.

(His first day with us.)

This was the morning after that first night, notice the bags under my eyes.

It didn’t take long for us to bond. I’ll never forget the first time I took him out to play in the snow. The moment the cold snow touched his paws he was energized ran around like a madman. Eventually, playing in the snow became a tradition of ours. Until we sold the house in 2015, each winter I would shovel a massive oval track for him to run on in our back yard complete with tunnels for him to burrow in and hills for him to climb.

One winter, in a moment of over exuberance, he ran as fast as he could and launched himself off a hill of snow nearly five feet in the air and would’ve landed in the prickly raspberry bushes if I hadn’t caught him in mid-air.

We learned during our first visit to the vet that there was a reason Amstel was the last of his litter left. He was born with a birth defect, a malformed rib cage and short sternum. The vet told us that a large portion of his heart wasn’t protected due to this birth defect and we should be careful that he didn’t fall and hit his chest. About a year later he had his first seizure, these are under control now thanks to a daily fish oil capsule on his food. Despite these health issues Amstel has grown up to be a happy and healthy member of our family.

Amstel’s favorite pastimes are long walks in the woods, running in short bursts, getting compliments from random strangers, sniffing stinky stuff, making people laugh, and begging for whatever we’re eating. When he wakes up from sleeping he smells like Fritos.

(Running with wild abandon.)

(Practicing his begging technique.)

(Amstel’s Elvis impression.)

He has the gentlest demeanor and is one of the most intelligent dogs I’ve ever met. We even taught him to walk on the treadmill so he can still expend his energy during those long stretches of below zero weather we have in January and February. As you can see from the video below he loves it.

(A video clip of his winter training.)

During the past nine years Amstel has been with us through thick and thin. He’s always made us feel better when we worked long, stressful hours at our corporate jobs, and he laid faithfully by my side as I was writing my first novel Alarm Clock Dawn, countless freelance articles, and most of the posts I’ve published on Steemit. He’s also lived in three different residences with us in his short life.

(Good night kisses for his momma.)

Today, on his ninth birthday, it was pretty much all about Amstel. He got to enjoy a long walk in the sunshine, a few naps, playtime, and his favorite beef liver treats.

I hope we have many years of fun, walks, and laughter together. After I’ve gotten to know you I realize it’s no coincidence that the word dog is God spelled backwards. Milan Kundera was right indeed, most moments spent with you are like being back in Eden. I suspect you have a few more lessons to teach us. I only hope you feel half the love from us that we feel from you. Happy birthday, buddy!

Your comments, upvotes, and shares are always appreciated.

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“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera

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I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and goofball. To follow my unfolding story please visit my website here to sign up for my author newsletter.

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