Ode to Bob

Bob left us on Feb 15, 2011. It was very sad. He was very old and when all is said and done it was the right thing - but that doesn't make it much easier. I hate that he's gone (despite the messes!) and find myself looking for him throughout the day :(

I wanted to post some memories of Bob. Some might find it interesting but I'm writing it mostly so I don't forget....

I remember meeting Bob. I'd never seen anything like him but he was so cute, sweet, and well behaved. We went on a walk with him and his owner and he was so good.

I believe before he came to us he rang a bell at the door when he needed to "use the facilities"

I remember how easily he adjusted to living at our house, how he terrified our cat (without even trying) and how much he puked! (his owner said he didn't eat people food except sometimes meat or pizza crust - apparently we ate too much pizza and he had too much pizza crust - problem solved)

I remember the first time we threw him a piece of food (a sausage I believe) - it hit him in the face and then rolled off his back. he really wasn't used to eating much people food!

He did not seem to have very good depth perception. It was very rare he would catch ANYTHING you threw to him.

He LOVED tennis balls. In fact, this was his only toy. He would chew on them for hours. His favorite thing was a new tennis ball. I'm pretty sure he would have never hurt a flea, but with a jaw like that - look out if he ever did!

He never had a flea in his life and noone ever did anything to prevent it.

He was a very nervous dog. MANY things scared him - wind, thunder, fireworks, bridges, loud noises, wood floors, etc. But very sweet.

I hated July 4th every year because i was certain Bob would die of a heart attack that night. He was so miserable but always survived :) The last year he was so deaf he barely noticed them.

When we first got him we would send him to the field across from us under the fence to "do his business" within a couple days he would automatically go there.

We took him to the lake and his dog friend was leaping off the dock to chase a ball. Bob would NOT. We literally had to throw him in the water and then i think he jumped in a couple times after that but pretty reluctantly. He slept the whole (many hour long) ride home.

He would do all his tricks if he wanted something you had without you even asking him.

He tolerated the children and our cat - but was sweet to them.

When we first brought the boys home Bob was clearly annoyed with their noise. there were some nights we let the boys cry it out or we'd be dealing with one while the other was crying. Bob would always come find us and stare at us like "what are you going to do about this?"

I remember when Bob stopped meeting us at the door when we got home. he couldn't hear us and many times I was afraid he was no longer with us.

At our first house Bob would get tired at night and be ready for bed. His bed was in our room. If we were on the couch in the living room he would keep getting up, coming down the hall, and staring at us like "are you coming to bed or what?"

Once Bob brushed his teeth all on his own.

Bob was so good. He would never go after another dog (well, except maybe he would have when he was super old) but if another dog went after him even in the slightest Bob would corner them and pin them down. This once happened at someone's house. We said "Bob! Off!" and he looked up at us. This is when he got bitten in the nose. We felt bad. It healed quickly though.

Bob LOVED to lay in the sun.

Bob LOVED to swim. It has been quite a while since we took him. The last time we went we were scared he wouldn't get back to shore. His heart was young but his body was not. Of course he insisted on continuing to go in the water.

He loved having his ears rubbed.

Toward the end he would sleep in the boys room while they were going to sleep.

He didn't bark much his whole life but for his last year or so he would bark when he wanted to come inside.

He was not fond of baths but he LOVED to be dried off.

If he was not pleased with what you were doing to him he would lick you.

He never liked coming down the stairs because there was wood floor at the bottom and carpet next to it. He wanted to leap directly onto the carpet. He got used to this but it was harder towards the end. I put a rug at the bottom of the stairs to give him a path but he was scared of it and would try to jump over it. So we took that away.

I remember taking him to the dog days of summer. he played games and got some peanut butter which he was very excited about until he tasted it and then he would have nothing to do with it.

He liked to snuggle on the bed with us when it was cold out. I would wake up in the night with him between us. He would be constantly stretching out pushing us to the sides to have more room. If it was windy he pretty much on our pillows.

When he could hear it was super cute how he would perk up his ears and cock his head to the side when you asked him if he wanted a cookie.

When he could hear you couldn't even say the word cookie in his presence in a sentence or he would start doing all his tricks so he could receive one.

When the boys were just walking, Bob was not a fan. He was always being bumped into and things. I kept trying to get him to go upstairs (since he was just sleeping anyway) so he could have some peace but he was not interested. It was worth it to him to be with us.

He like to lay on the big stair half way up the stairs so he could be between the action upstairs and the action downstairs.

Bob and my cat would fight over who could lay closer to the fireplace on cold days when it was on.

Once while Bob was on a ride with us he was in the back with the window half down. We pulled over to take a quick look at a yard sale and Bob had to use the bathroom. We did not know this and it became apparent to Bob that we weren't going to let him out. So before we were even fully out of the car he had leapt out the window.

Bob used to love taking rides (though not lately - i think because we no longer drove a car he could stick his head out the window) but he HATED riding in the back of Jared's truck. So he only did that a couple times.

Bob would "run" in his sleep. He'd be laying down and running with his feet. Maybe he was dreaming.

He liked to sit by the high chairs and snatch whatever went to the floor or the baby wanted to give him.

He was a good vacuum after meals :)

He was the most patient dog I know

Here are some photos - they range in time from the time we had him until the time he left us....