 I never got around to training him. I just made him part of my life Where I went he went Where I slept he slept The rest just happened He was a big part of my life I was a big part of his. That is how a great dog is made. Every War Horse should have a Great General. Majo had the very best! Majo's General was my Golden Canine friend born from Mary Lou. Mary Lou arrived in early Fall, with a big Samoyed smile and an appearance leading one to suspect she may have enjoyed a few potato chips while lying on the sofa watching afternoon soaps. She was, one might say, a tad chunky! Mary Lou was not our first rescue dog. But she was the first Samoyed to come to us from Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. Within a few weeks, Mary Lou would reveal there was more to her appearance than one too many Idaho Spuds. It seems the rescue package included six little Mary Lous! Oh my! We were up to 16 dogs! But they were White and Wonderful pups. They started out looking like mom, but by Thanksgiving, it was clear Mary Lou had flirted with something Golden. I cannot remember when, but at some point in life, our dog count exceeded those that fit in one bedroom. To accommodate them, Pam and I chose to have separate rooms. My room was a custom-built bunkhouse adjacent to the horses. This is where Mary Lou's brood box would go. The bunkhouse was designed to handle dirt one drags in after caring for horses. It was perfect for Mary Lou and her pups Nakita, Top Gun, Beeper, Corky, Wild Woman (W.W.), and The General. The pups were all healthy, vigorous players. General and Wild Woman seemed to have the edge on stamina with regard to play time. When they were very young, I would carry all the pups to the house in a basket. I could always see Pam's heart smiling. But, with the new pups we now had quite a few dogs. I insisted that I at least look for homes for some of these puppies. Surely homes deserving of such special puppies could be found! Two homes were located and eventually Beeper and Nakita would be heading out. On the day Beeper was scheduled to leave, I gave him his second shot of vaccine and delivered him to his new home. He seemed to accept his new home. I left Beeper, allowing him to be occupied with his newfound friends. That evening we got a call. Beeper was not walking right. He was stumbling and did not seem healthy. Later we would determine the cause of this malady to be an allergic reaction to the shots. At least three of these wonderful pups would have violent reactions to the vaccinations. Top Gun would suffer total paralysis and loss of life. Beeper and Corky would be unable to walk for months. Eventually they would recover but would never have normal motion. Only the General, Wild Woman, and Nakita would escape any apparent reaction. Beepers new owners wanted a healthy dog for their kids. They wanted a male dog. Beeper would get a reprieve and end up coming home. I offered My Little General to take Beepers place. The next day I took General to his new home. He played there as he always did with full vigor. Playing was serious business with General. It deserved his full attention. I went to leave because my little puppy looked comfortable and occupied. He was ten weeks old. But, when I went to go, he stopped. Unlike Beeper, General came to leave with me. My leaving was the one thing that disturbed his concentration on play. In what I can only call stupidity, I insisted, this is a caring home you will be happy here. I left with a heart that was breaking. Later, Nakita would be the other dog to leave. Beeper and Corky regained some mobility. As W.W. matured, she seemed to loose enthusiasm for play. My new Spanish Stallion Majo was keeping me busy. I would put aside thoughts of my little pup wanting to return to the only home he knew. He was my special one. Sure I knew I made a terrible mistake. My General even had a new name. He was called Cody. I was later to learn his new owners thought Cody was a coward. That hurt. I knew my General had a big heart and tons of courage. I never understood how he could be seen as a coward. A year passed. Unbelievable, Nakita was returned to us because she did not look sufficiently Samoyed. Apparently, I had not found such good homes after all. Then, I was given a reprieve, Cody's folks came by and said they were moving. They could not keep Cody at their new home. Cody would have to go to the pound unless I wanted him. This is when I learned they regarded him a coward. I was flabbergasted! The General was coming back home. General leaped out the truck and came running. Poor fellow had never given up on me. He had no malice, just joy to be where he always belonged. He was back to a place his heart never left. I vowed we would never separate again. All the other dogs respected him. He was at the top of the heap now and that is the way it was. I thanked Cody's owners for not taking him to the pound. They knew General was my special puppy. He was all grown up now and home. That was the last he was called Cody. 
On the way home General would rest his wet head on my lap and sleep until we reached KFC or the chosen eatery for the day. It was the ending of another perfect day. After watching the movie, "AirBud" I concluded General was very much a Golden Retriever in personality. With his white Samoyed undercoat, he appeared to have freckles. He was one handsome dude as Pam would say. She even taught him to sit up front and be her chauvinist little boy. We had two good years after the General came back home. I was lucky to have two such years. General was no coward. He was never afraid of a big stallion. He was not afraid of other dogs on the beach. He perceived he had a mission and tackled it with a vengeance. The General and I shared wonderful times. His eyes always were filled with the joy and happiness of life. He chose his destiny to be the best friend I will ever know. He was there to serve. The picture of health. General was the healthiest of his litter and full of vitality. He was fun loving and relished playing games with Majo. He was the very definition of loyal and gave me more than I could ever return. When I thought we were just beginning and General was about to turn four years old, he developed Lymphoma. He had never been sick and now I was told he was terminally ill. 
Pam had a photo of General that showed him with his leg shaven. This picture was taken just after the biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of Lymphoma. But, I said, I have great healthy pictures of him. General was a vigorous dog, that is how I want to remember him. But guess what... That precious picture of General is now in a copper frame in my bedroom. I treasure that photo more than any other. It reminds me of his courage. My General was a true warrior. My biggest regret is that The General never saw the Shenandoah Valley. He would have loved it here. There is lots of room to really play hard. There are green hills everywhere and a small pond for a quick dip. General would have conquered the Valley. Today I have another friend. He is called GenGen after Pam's puppy name for The General. Like The General, GenGen rests his head on mine every night. He plays very hard with great single mindedness. If you are gonna do it, put your heart into it! Needless to say, GenGen is a pure Golden Retriever. With GenGen, I am able to take another look at "AIRBUD" once in awhile. But it was the General that taught me how wonderful Gold can be. Now I cannot be without it. 
And now ten years have passed since I met my little GenGen. He, like the General, has become equally precious. GenGen traveled all over the USA and Canada with me. He was my partner, assisting in transporting horses. For over five years he has been with me twenty four hours a day, and for his entire life he has slept in my bed every night. We logged over 500,000 miles with Gen in the middle lying on the console as if to navigate for me. A selfless, devoted dog, Gen was compelled to be there for any need that might arise. Yet again I have to say goodbye to a beloved friend. Born Jan 5, 1999, I purchased him in February the same year and thus began a wonderful friendship. He was a leader and intelligent and my other dogs respected him without fear. But just after his 10th birthday, his liver started shutting down and his abdomen collected fluid. Once diagnosed, we struggled from February through April to extend our time together and do the best for his liver. He ate all home cooked food and was on a very healthy diet. Some days were very hopeful, other were not. In April of 2009 we made one last cross country transport. We took along hard boiled eggs, chicken and dumplings, yogurt, whole grain bread and other healthy foods for him. I hoped it was not a farewell journey for Gen, but knew that it was very likely his last trip. He had his ups and downs, but he had some very good days. Shortly after returning home his body no longer responded to the milk thistle, the B vitamins, or even the predsolone which did wonders for a short time. Treatments that helped him prior no longer did any good and he was filled with fluid and had lost much of his body flesh. So on May 1, 2009 I lay on the floor beside him, holding him and trying to comfort him as the vet injected the solution for his final sleep. The dreaded day of permanent separation had come and it was unbearable! Now there is another empty space and many more tears. GenGen and General were very different dogs, but I will love them both as long as I live. I carry them both in the deepest part of my soul. 
Gen the Sunshine in my life for 10 years. My boys I love so much are both gone now. I don't know if we will ever be together again, but I know the time we had was more precious than any wealth, and more rewarding than any position. At night when we pulled in to a rest stop and the horses were tucked in for the night, I crawled into bed and said to Gen, these are the good old days. Then he would rest in my arm. Later, when I turned on my side, he would put his head on my head and life was good. Hey Boys, I sure miss the good old days!  |