I Miss Him

When we first saw you, mommy held you and you climbed up into her shoulder and fell asleep.
I took you to get neutered when you were still a puppy.
You used to love to thrash around your babies and daddy's socks.
You were so good at pulling off daddy's socks.
When I came home you'd cry, I'd cry, you'd go insane. You would scratch me every time, but I knew you didn't mean it. You were just trying to love me.
You were afraid of the basement. You would bark and bark and yell that you weren't going down there. That was Will's favorite trick.
You liked to take your cookies outside (if you could sneak them out the back door) and dig a hole and bury them.
You could jump over the fence, which led to your untimely demise.
You only "listened" to me. Daddy would pretend to be mad that you laid down when I told you to.
When you were just a puppy, I was holding you. We were just outside the back door. You wriggled away from me and I dropped you. You yelped and yelped, but you were okay. I still feel so bad about that.
You liked to play catch. But sometimes you didn't bring the ball back. You thought that it was part of the game for the thrower to chase you.
You never ate the bird. I'm sure mommy and daddy are happy about that.
Diesel liked you a lot. When he would leave the house, you'd be covered in his drool.
One time, you came home from the kennel, and you smelled like a dog peed on you. Will said you were "some dog's bitch".
Twice you got your chain stuck in the deck when you were laying on it. I was there both times. You emitted that stinky dog smell the first time it happened. It made the whole house smell.
You made the best sigh noises when you were comfy and sleeping.
You woke me up at 3am and 7am to pee every time I slept over.
I used to drive you around everywhere. You would sit on my lap and rest your head on my arm. I love you.
One time, when you were a puppy, I left you in the car and I went in to ShopRite. You shit on the driver's side floor to show how much you missed me.
One time, when you were grown up, mommy and daddy left you alone in the car so they could eat at a rest stop, and you ate the seat belt.
This past Passover, you ate all the Jelly rings and Halvah, and had really bad diarrhea.
You used to eat any candy (lick the wrappers clean) that daddy didn't hide well enough.
Mommy fed you people food. She liked to cook eggs for her, you and the bird. She would give you rice when she saw you had an upset stomach.
When you were a puppy I'd take you to the bank, and Karen, who worked with Mrs. Houlihan, would give you cookies.
Even Shannon liked you. She doesn't like animals.
You had that orange ball the entire time we had you.
Your first summer with us, we got you to sit in the chair in the pool. After that summer, you wouldn't come in ever again.
You hated to have your nails clipped. You almost bit the girl in Pet Smart, so I could never take you for free nail clippings.
The vet had to put you under for a check up. You hated shots and blood drawing and anything medical.
One time, when I brought you in to the vet, you peed on the half wall there to mark your place there. I was a little embarrassed, but I mostly thought it was funny.
The first time the vet put you under, I thought you stopped breathing. I had never been so scared in my life.
You could climb fences. Big fences.
You climbed trees, too.
When you were a puppy, I would shower and then you would lick the water off my foot bottoms.
You didn't like showers too much, but never really put up a fight when you needed one.
You never bit anyone. You would hardly bite me when we were play fighting.
You would antagonize daddy into play fighting with you. You would nibble his hands. You loved play fighting.
You loved to be loved.
You always wagged your tail. Always.
Up until a couple of years ago, you would run out the front door, and there was almost no way to get you back. You thought you were playing tag or something.
We thought you were a pure Golden Retriever. You never grew to full size, and you had lots of white dots on your paws. You little mutt.
I always told everyone you were my true love.
You were really good with kids. Oh, except, I never understood why you always humped little Renee and no one else.
You would jump the fence and leave for hours, but you always came back.
You liked cotton candy.
You would "Shake", instead of the standard "Give Paw". Then "Other Paw", and you knew to switch legs.
You loved to give kisses.
"Move back, move back", and you'd really slide backward on the floor.
We would play hide and seek. You knew my favorite hiding place was the shower.
I would leave you LOUD answering machine messages "want a cookie?"
I would run away from you around the wall that the up and down stairs are on. You would cry and run and try to find me.
"Where's your baby?" You always knew we were talking about your stuffed animal of the moment.
You had mommy trained to give you a cookie every morning.
You liked to lay in the chaise lounge in the backyard.
You LOVED sun bathing.