In Memory: Teddy 1990-2006
Master of All He Surveys
One spring afternoon in 1990 I was headed to a meeting and noticed that a black lab puppy of no more than 4-5 months wandering around the neighborhood. He was cute, bright and appeared to be friendly. I supposed as I was getting ready, he was one of the neighbors dogs and someone would scoop him back home in short order. I went to my meeting and on the way home, I saw the same pup following a women who was crossing Diamond Bar Blvd, trying to chase him back to the sidewalk. All of a sudden in total fear he turned and bolted into the intersection. Without thinking I dropped the truck into gear and blocked the intersection, opened the door and picked him up by the neck and tossed him into the front seat. Lucky for me I didn't get hit. Lucky for him too. I was rewarded with a slurpy kiss I'll never forget. We went home.
For weeks we tried to find his owner. No one claimed him. My 15 yr old Schnauzer, Nanny, wasn't thrilled with another Lab' pup in her home. She'd done this before. But over time she's whipped him into shape and made him behave properly. Despite he was a "perfect" pup from Day One.
That day I brought "Teddy" home. I'd wanted another Labrador Retriever, but Dr. D wasn't keen on the idea. So we kept him here, while we looked for his owner nearly everywhere possible. Teddy read Dr D like a book and made up for it by being the "perfect dog."
Finally after months of looking, we finally decided Teddy was here to stay. Nanny, who was getting up in age had accepted him. Teddy played with everyone, and had a smile that would win even the most leery dog fearing visitor. He took commands as if he actually understood the words. We took Nanny and Teddy everywhere, and I do mean EVERYWHERE together and they traveled together like twins. People found it amazing how well behaved and friendly they were in public. They never knew he'd never been to obedience school, because he knew it cold by the time he was a year old, just by working him in the yard and neighborhood.
Then one night I knew Teddy wasn't leaving. He and Dr D were sound asleep on their backs snoring away with Doug having his arm wrapped around patting Teddy as he slept. I had just been banished to the guest room so Dad and Dog could bond. Teddy was home.
Over the years Teddy was a constant companion, I worked at home so he felt his job was to be my ever-present protector who could scare a door to door salesmen with one woof. Little did they know he would never bit soul. The Post Office, UPS and FedEx guys knew him by name, and he had a special woof for each one. Teddy was known to crawl in their trucks at times to greet them with a wag and a slurp. As Hector our FedEx guy used to say, "Teddy's not a dog-- he's a big kid who just wants to go for a ride." Only trouble is: one day he nearly did until Hector noticed he had an uninvited co-pilot about a half block away.
As time passed Teddy gave us countless hours of joy, comfort, companionship and love. He anchored Dr. D and I into a routine that was nearly circadian. He actually called the shots and we just went along. He loved guests even when they weren't human. He would never get in the truck without knowing his leash, which he rarely needed or wore was in our hands.
After Nanny passed away, he truly showed grief by constantly looking for her for several months and crying at the door of her kennel. We showered him with affection and trips to the lake, Starbucks and the local coffee cafes, where he was the center of attention in public and with Dr. D's parents. He loved going to visit friends and family, and was as Dr. D's Father said-- the perfect houseguest. Even one of our favorite hotels in Las Vegas made an exception for Teddy to be a guest, because he was totally adored by the management and staff. He loved going to Comdex and NAB, when people came to visit our suite-- and everyone said Teddy made it like home. And he remembered every person even years later.
Several years ago when we decided to go back to Illinois, it was a natural to take Teddy along. He hated going to the kennel and we were going to be gone too long. Teddy was king of the trip riding on his bed in the back of the Blazer enjoying view of the mountains and the sites along the way. We never had a problem checking into a motel/hotel with him once he met the manager or front desk clerk, and he never disappointed them by being such a perfect traveler.
All in all Teddy was my buddy. He outlived the normal age range of his breed and earlier illnesses that would have taken him from us early in his life. But he was totally loved by his veterinarians and Dr. D, who made sure he had the best medications and treatments possible. He spent countless late night hours at my feet, lying on the patio, couch or perched on the knoll at the house in Illinois. He was Master of All He Surveyed-- and he knew it.About 18 months ago we noticed he started coughing it almost sounding like he was drowning when Dr. D and I recognized the symptoms of CHF. We took him to the Vet right away and Dr. Donna and Dr. Theresa confirmed he was in heart failure and an enlarged heart. They warned us the outlook wasn't good. But Teddy like normal responded to medications and within 24-48 hours was back to normal for a 14 yr old Lab'.
Over the last year he responded to his meds like they had never seen. Although older and grayer, he still found time to play with Andy and always wanted to "go" whenever we went out in the evening, even if it meant sleeping at mother Barcon's feet. Teddy took the time to pass down his good behavior skills to Andy, as Nanny had taught him. He conducted himself like the elder statesmen he was and sucked up every ounce of attention he could get.
Then on Valentine's Day evening we came back from dinner and watched the news. Teddy and Andy were on guard duty on the couch, watching the yard. They went in and outside a few times, then about midnight he went to bed with Doug as he always did. About 2:30 AM he came out to the kitchen for his late night outing-- per normal. I didn't get up to open the screen door fast enough to suit him. So he opened it with a swish of his paw, proud of himself he waited for me to close it for him, as we always did every night. He got his drink, came over sat next to me and I petted him and we talked for about 10 minutes. It was our normal nightly ritual. Then he got up and made it known he was going to bed with his smile and tail wag, as he started down the hall to sleep at the side of the bed next to Doug as he'd done for the past 16 years.
The next morning we found him. It appears he had a heart attack in his sleep and passed away within an hour of when he'd gone to bed. He'd passed away right where he wanted to be surrounded by his family and buddy. He got his way-- always.
After 16 years the house is empty without him.
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