So far this blog is mostly about health and fitness, but one of the most important things we can do for ourselves doesn't involve working out. Its about surrounding ourselves with the love of others, whether it is people or the love of a furry creature that will give you the unconditional love that only a pet can.
We have had many dogs, all so incredible in their own ways, always giving all of themselves and greatly missed when they left us. In each and every set of eyes there is a soul behind them that no human can match in purity of heart and eternal devotion.
Maximus Rex or Max was one of my companions, I found him after I had been mourning the loss of my gentle giant Apollo for five months, his loss so hard I didn't know if I could do it again. I didn't want to hold another one in my arms and say goodbye. My heart, and the heart of everyone in the family just shattered when we lost Apollo, none of us were really ready to do it again.
I couldn't help but keep on checking our local Boxer rescue and checking the pictures of the Boxers that were in need of homes, always wondering if one was for me. One day a new dog came in and a picture was posted, and I saw his eyes. His skinny bony body called to me but more than that he was looking into the camera and I knew. His look, that look was just saying "Here I am, I am yours". Only days later we were picking up this poor abused and abandoned sack of bones from his foster home.
That day was September 09, 2001. At that moment none of us had any clue of the events to come, little did we know that his sweetness and incredible sense of knowing just when we needed a body to hug would help us all through the next few months.
Max was taller than most Boxers, his chest much more narrow, a trait that implied that he must have had some Shepherd or Hound in him, his body was elegant and lean. Most Boxers have that typical color, Fawn which he did, his face had a simple black mask, uncropped ears. By no means was this dog remarkable in looks, most people would probably consider him not desirable, he wasn't flashy which is what everyone wants. I didn't want flashy, I wanted him. Max the AMAZING VIBRATING DOG! A little nubbin for a tail this huge dog had, so when he would wag his whole body would vibrate uncontrollably. Always happy, always vibrating.
His looks aside, he more than made up for it in personality. His personality and humor was bigger than any dog I have ever met in my life, he was almost human. Countless times we would be sitting at our computer together, my husband and I and this 90 plus pound monster would put his paws on me and start crawling across our laps until he managed to be sprawled across the laps of two adults crushing our legs and cutting off circulation. One look of happiness as if saying "See? I am here, its good." And we would suffer through our circulation loss gladly as if it were nothing.
Eventually we realized this dog was not a common pup.. by any means. His lanky huge frame implied scary dog, yet at one point his true personality began to emerge. I firmly believe Liberace was reincarnated in Max. Ok maybe not Liberace himself, but who knew a dog could love the bling as much as Liberace himself? I kid not! It started with his nails, Max lived in a household with three females so of course girlie activities like manis and pedis are a common occurrence.
One one of our mani days, we kept on looking at a color talking about how pretty it was, and after a few minutes of girlie "OOOHHH HOW PRETTY" exclamations we noticed we was vibrating in front of us.. vibrating, begging. We looked at each other and my daughter says "Max do you want to be pretty?" He jumped up and vibrated harder, so we pulled out the "Chrome" silver figuring it was a tad more appropriate than pink. I asked for his paw, and that dog actually stayed still as we proceeded to paint both front paws exclaiming how pretty he looked. Once done, he kept on hopping around as if he was just the dandiest dog around. That started a love affair for anything we called pretty. If it was pretty he needed it.
Just like the time we were clearing out the accessory box. Ever attentive, the first time the words "Keep that, its pretty" were said his head popped up and he vibrated. Max was given a string of faux pearls that from that moment on were his, he wouldn't let you take them off. So now I have a large scary-looking male Boxer running around the house with silver claws and pearls. What will my neighbors think? Of course we really didn't care what anyone thought because we knew that he was a superstar in our small neighborhood. Always a friendly to anyone who he encountered, everyone loved him.
He never lost his playfulness, he was always teasing the cat we adopted a couple of years after him, ironically our cat would seem irritated but they would curl up together to sleep, which the cat would never dream of doing with Roxie the second dog we rescued after Max. To this day they politely ignore each other and catch a nip or a scratch when they can. Max however, dominated gently, loving them and being an unobtrusive yet firm Alpha to his little pack.
All animals are sensitive to our feelings, I grew up with plenty to know that, however his bond with me was unique and to this day beyond anything I had ever had with any other animal. Throughout the years, life became difficult as life will, and his never ending love and gentle heart would help me through the toughest of times, and those were plenty over the small span of a few years.
Inconsolable, I came back from Chicago where we all had gathered, my father had died. We - all of his many children and their families spent four painful, heart wrenching days in the hospital until he took his last breath. Having been close to him, I had been his 'little girl' and the guilt of having moved away a few years before weighed especially hard on me, I sank into a deep depression. I didn't want anyone to console me, not my husband, especially not my kids, I didn't want them to see me cry, the only one to get through to me and pull me out was Max. My dear boy, no questions asked, he would sit by me and whenever I needed it he would let me bury my face in his neck and sob uncontrollably until I had nothing left. He would stay, he would look at me and he knew. He saved me from my grief as only an angel can.
We didn't know his birthday, all we know is that he was around 1 1/2 when he was adopted. So around the time he became 6 he was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Boxers are cancer factories but until now none of my many had ever had it. I was devastated, my boy, my friend. Luckily after a run in with one vet who would have put him down on the spot, we brought him to the most amazing place and for a year he went through Chemo. If you didn't know he was sick you couldn't tell. He was as big, happy and bouncy for that year. I sat with him that Christmas happy that I had him around still. The best gift yet.
Late May the next year his glands began to swell, I took him in to his bi-weekly checkup the bad news hit. There was no more Chemo to be done, we had been blessed to have him a year longer than we had thought. Our Vet, a gentle wonderful, loving person told me to take him home and enjoy him until it was time. Time? I asked her how I would know when the time was? She told me that I would just know. Progressively my dear heart went downhill, I would carry him out to relieve himself, he had begun to lose weight so it wasn't that hard, I would feed him through a Turkey baster because he preferred liquid at that point, his throat was swollen. I called the Vet, asked her if it was time. She would always ask me "Is it?" I would look into his eyes, it wasn't.
Until the Sunday morning where it was time. I looked into his eyes and they told me he needed peace. She had left word to call her if she wasn't on duty and she would come in. Everyone in the office had grown to love him that much. I was left alone with my baby and held him in my arms as he passed, my hubby stayed outside, he knew that this moment was between us.
The lessons of love we learn from our pets are all unique, at the moment we still have our baby girl Roxie who is my sweet companion, and our cat "KatKat", yet not a single day passes where I miss my boy, my best friend, the doggie love of my life. I still can see his eyes and his soul right through them. Did I ever deserve him? Nope, and I don't deserve any of the love of these animals, no human does, we just aren't worthy. Yet they still are there, and they give us the wonderful mental well-being that only that kind of devotion and love can give. Of course, there are plenty of statistics I can throw around about how having a pet lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, but you just need to hang out around one to know. They are better than any human friend when it comes to listening, what more can you ask?
There are so many books out that are about pets, the ones with titles " .. and me". Everyone who has known the love of an animal has his or her ".. and me" story. This is mine.
