WASATCH

                                                   

Today our family lost a dog. In reality the dog belonged to P.J., my grandson.  He was the one who looked after him. 

The dog’s name was Wasatch. Wasatch is the name of a beautiful mountain range in Utah and the name was given to the dog by PJ’s mom, Gia, a native of Salt Lake City, who spent many happy hours on the mountains. I remember she told her family either you come up with a name or I will and she did.

Losing a dog is tragic. Losing this dog is even worse. There is no other way to describe it.  It is impossible to grasp how hard it is to live with a dog for only 10 to 15 years and know that is about the length of time we can expect to live with them. To live with a dog for only 5 years as Wasatch’s family did is beyond words.

Wasatch was a typical dog in every sense of the word. He characterized the very essence of what a great dog does. He was funny, he was loyal, he was smart and he looked out for every member of his human family. No one got into their home without Wasatch letting them know someone was on the property.

At night he would go up to PJ’s room and while PJ was sleeping he would climb up on the bed and sleep alongside his buddy, PJ.  In the morning Gia would find the two of them fast asleep side by side.

He was given the reign of the kitchen area with an electronic fence. With his collar and the current on he was to stay in his prescribed area. He only needed to feel the gentle shock once and that was that. He would not venture out of his area with or without his collar.

He loved to run. PJ’s back yard is a good size and can be traversed in a large circle. Wasatch would run across the yard, down behind the side of garage, around the back, cross the basketball area, down the thicket of tall grass on the side of the house and then back around he would go, again and again and again.  If you wanted to laugh just watch that dog do laps around the house. It was better than paid entertainment. 

When P.J.’s family went to Utah for their annual summer holiday they filled their van with mom and dad, sisters Lena and Devan, suitcases for everyone, bicycles for everyone and way in the back sat P.J. with Wasatch. I never could figure how they got all that stuff into one mini van but the topper was how P.J. and a 60-pound Wasatch could sit together for a 20-hour ride. Only one who loved a dog and only a dog who loved a boy could do that.  

Wasatch was not allowed on the furniture so while you sat where he wanted to sit he would sit on the floor right in front of you and put his paw on your leg until you paid attention to him. It took about one second for him to get all the attention he wanted.

I remember when I visited the family Wasatch would recognize my scent and voice and come running to greet me. For the first several years of his life that meant there would be a small amount of pee deposited on the floor. He got excited to see me and I must admit I felt the same. While no one knew it I almost peed myself when I was greeting him. He just made everyone so darn happy.

He sat under the kitchen table when the family was having their meals. He was a member of the family and a meal was not the same if he was not under there waiting for something worth eating to drop.

Not a day went by that Wasatch did not make you smile, laugh or feel good. You see it is said that a dog is a man’s best friend. Well to me a dog defines the word friend.  Friends are often described by what they do for each other. Dogs do not ask for anything, they only give. They never judge, they never question and they never compete. They are there just for you. There is no ego in a dog. Forget to feed them on time, no problem, they are thrilled when it comes and harbor no ill will for it being late. Bring any emotion or mood to a dog; sadness, frustration, anger, anxiety and they will sense it, respond to it and just be there with you, asking for nothing and wanting nothing. 

When you are ready to toss the ball so are they. You want to go for a ride in the car? Let’s go, want lunch, hmmm, that’s a good idea. Go for a run? Me too. Tired? Let’s take a nap. It makes no difference what you want to do; a dog will want to do it too.

Wasatch was a companion, a friend and a part of our lives. We miss him and will always remember him. When asked if the pain is so great losing a dog, why get one? The answer is in the dog. The joy of having one will always over come the tragedy of losing one. Living is accepting risk, defeat and failure. It is the willingness to trust, to love, to give, to sacrifice all without asking for anything in return. When a person is willing to accept whatever happens both good and bad they are alive.  Having a dog in your life is a gift. If we are not willing to accept all that comes with the gift then we are not worthy of having it.

Wasatch was such a gift. All of us are so lucky we had him in our lives. We all accepted his love and our love for him unconditionally. He had to leave us and we have to accept that as a part of the gift he gave us. 

But he has earned a place in our hearts and will forever reside there as a constant reminder of how lucky we are to have lived with him.