Guest tammara Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 (edited) Our baby Bear aka Courageous Kid died Thursday night in our arms at the age of 11 years and 10 months after a prime rib dinner followed by an ice cream cone and a special visit with his grandmas. We adopted Bear from Greyhound Friends in Hopkinton, Mass on Valentine's day 2002, when he picked us. I wanted to share with all of you my favorite pictures of my baby, and a little of our story. "Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera "…to look at my dog and think, 'If you were a little smarter you could tell me what you were thinking,' and he'd look at me like he was saying, 'If you were a little smarter, I wouldn't have to.'" - Fred Jungclaus Bear's racing name was Courageous Kid. And what a true name that was because he had no fear of anything, he was a brave boy. In addition to having no fear, he was persistent and would never give up. After Jack taught him to bark, Bear decided he needed treats for dessert every night and would bark in your face until you caved in… Then he went through a phase when he figured out when mommy was on the phone it was a good time to bark at her too, 'cause she would have to give him treats to be quiet. A classic Bear move. He was always so proud of himself when he outsmarted us! I hate to tell you all the words we had to spell instead of speak just so we could plan a day. Bear must have known a hundred words. And then he even learned to spell a few, so the word ride, was no longer even r.i.d.e. it became r.i. in this house. If you goofed and said the magic words he would not settle back down until the fun was going on… The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too.- Samuel Butler For all of you with the Greytalk calendar please know that Bear's Christmas picture is on the December page in the middle of the top row (thank you Trudy and Jeff). It is an honor to have him in the calendar and means more to me than I can say, especially now. One of Bears favorite things to do when he was younger was to empty the entire front closet of all the shoes and drag then into the living room. I must have put them all back one hundred times, and he just thought it was a marvelous game to play with mommy. Then he went through his water bottle phase… yummy, chewy, noisy plastic. He even grabbed one out of my husband's hand that he was drinking from. Oh, then there was the time I left a case of dog food cans on the floor… I knew as soon as my head hit the pillow he was up to something down stairs. By the time I got back down he had stole a can chomped it in the middle denting it and pierced holes into the can. He ran off while my husband and I were discussing the recent bout of craziness and sole another… I never left cans on the floor again. My crazy Bear. No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin We have so many crazy Bear stories but one of our favorites to tell is the porcupine story. My husband and Bear frequently would go on long hikes, and of course miles and miles out into the woods Bear finds a baby porcupine under a leaf , grabs it in his mouth and shakes the poor little thing. He shook it right into Doug's leg! So not only did Doug have to get all those quills out of Bear but he himself had a patch of quills in his leg as big as the palm of your hand! He removed all the quills while they were in the woods, but we took Bear right to the vet to be checked out (he was fine) but you should have seen the vet laugh when he saw Doug's leg. You don't often hear of people getting quills! When they would hike that trail again Bear always looked in that same spot for that porcupine… He had an amazing memory. My husband fell down the stairs last Christmas morning and hurt his leg badly. Bear stayed by his side for months while he was recuperating, to nurse him back to health. Bear always loved adventure and new things. He would play Gandhi if you served him the same dinner too many days in a row. And a new toy was only good for a few days. The same walk or hike was quite boring twice in a row. That was the way he always was. My baby had the most expressive eyes. And the way he would look up at his father would melt the hardest of hearts. He loved Christmas. He knew what it meant when we put the tree up. One Christmas Eve, when he was in bed with me he curled up and placed his head on my heart for a few minutes. It was one of his many gifts to me, a memory that I will treasure forever because he was not a snuggler. Don't get me wrong he loved being pet, ear scitches, and the baby talk but he had his own quiet way of expressing his love. He also invented the greyhound whine of death, for those occasions where you were not paying enough attention to him. Then four years ago along came a brother for Bear. Jack worshiped Bear. Together they would team up against us, and rule the house. And then just this year, a sister came along. Jasmine loved Bear so much too. Jasmine the last few weeks was hiding her treats out in the back yard for her big brother Bear to find each time he went out to do his business. And the last month or two, when Bear didn't get around much, Jack and Jasmine would pause from playing and go give their big brother wet smooches. They knew he didn't feel good. Of course you see how spoiled he was. But for the last four years we knew this day would come. He had so many medical problems so we chose to spoil him rotten, never thinking that we would be blessed with four extra years with him. Even having all that extra time to prepare doesn't make it easier… but we do know we did all we could and now he is free from his pain and able to do what he loved to do, run and show off! "You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." - Robert Louis Stevenson My happy baby, with those precious eyes. "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart." Unknown Bear November 1, 1998 to September 2, 2010 My precious baby, remember mommy loves you forever. Now you run and play 'till I get there ok? Edited September 12, 2010 by tammara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandysMom Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 What a beautiful tribute. I'm so sorry for your loss. Godspeed Bear Quote Beverly. Missing my happy toy-flinging boy Sammy (Where's Mandrill), (8/12/2009-9/30-2021) Desperately missing my angel Mandy (BB's Luv) [7/1/2000 - 9/18/2012]. Always missing Meg the Dalmatian and Ralph Malph the Pekeapoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante2zoe Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a wonderful celebration of Bear's wonderful life with you. I am so very sorry for your loss. Quote Cindy with Miss Fancypants, Paris Bueller, Zeke, and Angus Dante (Dg's Boyd), Zoe (In a While), Brady (Devilish Effect), Goose (BG Shotgun), Maverick (BG ShoMe), Maggie (All Trades Jax), Sherman (LNB Herman Bad) and Indy (BYB whippet) forever in my heart The flame that burns the brightest, burns the fastest and leaves the biggest shadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BlackandBrindle Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I am truly sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy. :grouphug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinw Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a wonderful personality Bear must've had! He was very handsome, also. I'm so sorry for your loss Quote Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inugrey Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Wonderful tribute, thank you for sharing his story. Quote Colleen with Covey (Admirals Cove) and Rally (greyhound puppy)Missing my beloved boy INU (CJ Whistlindixie) my sweetest princess SALEM (CJ Little Dixie) and my baby girl ZOE (LR's Tara) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinM Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Such a beautiful, heartfelt tribute. I am so sorry for your loss. Quote ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties. Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 The life he had with you is every dog's dream. One in a million, your special boy. I'm so sorry he had to leave you. Godspeed, Bear. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flysmom Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 My heart goes out to you! I am so sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greybookends Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobelvr Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 (edited) What a special boy. Sorry for your loss Edited September 6, 2010 by dobelvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos and memories of your handsome boy. I am so very sorry for your loss. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiveRoooooers Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I *love* the last photo of Bear smiling. Your love for your boy is so clear, and I am so sorry for your loss. Godspeed sweet Bear. Quote Old Dogs are the Best Dogs. Thank you, campers. Current enrollees: Punkin. AnnIE Oooh M Angels: Pal . Segugio. Sorella (TPGIT). LadyBug. Zeke-aroni. MiMi Sizzle Pants. Gracie. Seamie . (Foster)Sweet. Andy. PaddyALVIN!Mayhem. Bosco. Bruno. Dottie B. Trevor Double-Heart. Bea. Cletus, KLTO. Aiden 1-4. Upon reflection, our lives are often referenced in parts defined by the all-too-short lives of our dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fandogs Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Thank you for sharing your stories of Bear, and the wonderful pictures. God Speed Bear.. run free with no pain, and join your friends. Condolences to you and your family. Definitely a very special hound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tricolorhounds Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a wonderful tribute to your special boy... I am so sorry for your loss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeh2o Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a beautiful moving tribute, I've never been so touched like what you have written for your sweet Bear. He sounds like a true character and a lot of fun to be around. Run free in that beautiful forest, Bear. Quote Sunsands Doodles: Doodles aka Claire, Bella Run Softly: Softy aka Bowie (the Diamond Dog) Missing my beautiful boy Sunsands Carl 2.25.2003 - 4.1.2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cully Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Run free sweet baby. Quote waiting at the bridge Connie Van Teddy & Jojo, Cobra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyPoopon Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I'm so very sorry. Thank you for a wonderful tribute to your handsome boy. Godspeed Bear. Quote Standard Poodle Daisy (12/13) Missing Cora (RL Nevada 5/99-10/09), Piper (Cee Bar Easy 2/99-1/10), Tally (Thunder La La 9/99-3/10), Edie (Daring Reva 9/99-10/12), Dixie (Kiowa Secret Sue 11/01-1/13), Jessie (P's Real Time 11/98-3/13), token boy Graham (Zydeco Dancer 9/00-5/13), Cal (Back Already 12/99-11/13), Betsy (Back Kick Beth 11/98-12/13), Standard Poodles Minnie (1/99-1/14) + Perry (9/98-2/14), Annie (Do Marcia 9/03-10/14), Pink (Miss Pinky Baker 1/02-6/15), Poppy (Cmon Err Not 8/05-1/16), Kat (Jax Candy 5/05-5/17), Ivy (Jax Isis 10/07-7/21), Hildy (Braska Hildy 7/10-12/22), Opal (Jax Opal 7/08-4/23). Toodles (BL Toodles 7/09-4/24) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boondog Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a wonderful tribute to an amazing boy. Run free, Bear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximum Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Awww, thanks for sharing Bear with us. Your love for your special boy and the relationship you had shone through - and that last pic? What a life he knew he lived! I am so sorry that he couldn't stay forever... Until you all meet again, may all your wonderful, precious memories keep you smiling and loving your boy Quote My boys, together again... A hui hou kakou, my loves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PiagetsMom Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 (edited) This was a beautiful tribute and your Bear was a beautiful boy.....and obviously knew much love and returned it in kind. I'm so very sorry Edited September 6, 2010 by PiagetsMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mollysmom10 Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 That was a beautiful tribute -- he was truly an amazing boy. RIP Bear -- run free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SkipperAnnie Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 What a lovely way to share Bear's story - thank you for giving us the chance to get to know him. Rest in peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remolacha Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I am so sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gingergrey Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Thank you for sharing such a beautiful tribute for your boy. He is so beautiful! Godspeed Bear, and run like the wind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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