26 Apr Josie
Josie was sweet, reliable, protective without aggression, an extremely intelligent and amazing emotional support animal. Although she was bred to be the ultimate hunting/working dog (webbed feet and all), she was actually the best companion dog. She was so strong both physically and emotionally. She never cried. She never barked at people or other dogs on walks. She was always doing what was expected of her. She was never destructive, even as a puppy, never caused any problems. We only needed to show her out the door *one* time to housebreak her. She was also a bit timid and scared of random things like flies. She loved running on the beach, catching tennis balls in the air or on the bounce, and flowers, especially walking under low hanging deck flowers. She was velvety soft and was the darkest brown you’ve seen. She received so many compliments on our walks because she was so pretty, sleek, regal looking, and walked with a smooth, strong gait.
She taught us
how to run at a fast jog on long runs,
to enjoy being outdoors,
to slow down and relax,
that dogs can be great emotional support animals,
and in her latter days she taught us patience with aging and the ailments that slow you down,
acceptance and adaptability to the things you can’t control,
that time is a gift and again, not to rush, slow down, observe, take the time you need,
that sometimes just your mere presence is a huge comfort,
and that it will probably always be the case that the dog is ready to go before the human is ready to let them go.
She was there for 14.5 years of our children’s childhood. We are so grateful to have had Josie.