On Thursday, we made the difficult decision to put our beautiful dog Albie to sleep. He was 11 1/2 years old, and we loved him so much! Albie was our constant companion, through the flood, high school graduations, a move, and empty nesting. His personality filled the house, and he always kept us on our toes!
Albie was always by my side: laying by my desk in the study, sleeping by my bedside, walking with me almost every day, and always ready for a cuddle or treat. He was my shadow in the kitchen, waiting patiently for a piece of cheese or scrap of food to fall from the counter. Albie had the most expressive eyes, and you truly felt like you were completely adored when he gazed at you.
We adopted Albie from the local shelter in March 2015 as a surprise for the kids. He was about 8 weeks old, and somehow we thought he was a beagle or hound dog. Later, a DNA test showed that he was a big mix of Staffordshire terrier, Lab, bull mastiff, and cattle dog. The kids were definitely surprised, and Albie brought lots of fun into our house of teens. He also brought a little pep to the step of our older dog Rosie.
Albie was the smartest dog we have owned, but also the most obstinate. He knew exactly what to do, but didn't always do it. He was the best guard dog, with the fiercest bark you've ever heard. He was honestly hard to control when someone came to the door, and they always stepped back about 10 feet from the door. We felt very protected!
He was the most instinctual, rough 'n' tumble dog ever! The list of his injuries and vet visits is long! All of these required trips to the vet: He got a tiny stick lodged in his throat. He attacked a snake and got bit. He tore off his toenail running out the back door. He dislocated his leg from running and turning too fast. He ate various turtles and frogs leading to foaming at the mouth.
And worst of all, he broke my nose by running into me while I was kneeling in the flower bed!
If there was an animal in the backyard, he chased and attacked it with a vengeance. This included squirrels, turtles, armadillos, snakes, frogs, and rabbits.
Albie loved to swim, and he probably missed our pool even more that I did. He swam so much when he was puppy that he got swimmer's ear.
His health had slowly declined over the past 9 months since he had a mast cell tumor removed from his leg. It was a slow decline, until it wasn't. In the past week, he was having a really hard time getting around. He started panting at night and restlessly pacing around. At first, I thought it was dementia, but then it progressed to panting in the day. He looked so uncomfortable, and on the last morning just laid there without lifting his head. The vet helped us make the tough decision to say goodbye.
This farewell felt much harder for me than our other dogs. He was my buddy as we entered the empty nesting years, and I'll miss my handsome boy so much.
Hi, I'm Tanya - a stay-at-home wife and mom. I share my life with my husband Michael and young adult children Grace and Jack. In my former life, I taught high school science for 10 years. I am grateful every day for my family and our life that is so full of love. It was worth the wait! In 2014, we moved back to Texas after 3 years in England. In 2017, we rebuilt our home after flooding in Hurricane Harvey. And now, we are entering the empty nest phase of life. {As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.}
