by Kathy Poppenger
Once upon a time when Rocky, my golden retriever, was young and I was a 25 year old newly married childless girl, Rocky and I were members of the local training club and flyball team. He LOVED to compete, but he had to figure out the concept of acceptable behavior on the course, and the concept of team work. Rocky was known for his "body slamming" of other dogs in the heat of competition. He would take the jumps at tremendous speed, retrieve his ball and then cross over the line and SLAM the dog on the other lane. It was rather amusing, although the other team didn't love this apparent aggression and my team didn't love it because we would get disqualified. He was not a mean dog, he just didn't want anyone else to play. But OH Rocky was fast at flyball, and when he decided to run the course properly, he always won the race. He ran anchor, and he was a beautiful golden retriever with long feathers on his underside and his tail. He sure stole the crowd's attention!!
This year we went to the AKC dog show in Detroit. Our old flyball team was there; all the dogs are new of course, since it was 10 years ago that Rocky and I were active on the team. But his coach was there, and a quilt they had made with the old team's picture on it. They ran an exhibition of a team of all golden retrievers. I sat in the audience and cried as I watched them run. That was my youth, a different life, before kids, before law school, before a busy law practice and lots of responsibility. When Rocky died in May 2001, part of me died with him. They give us so much in the short time they are with us. I cherish the time with my Rocky and think of him often, especially on hot summer days when he used to lay in the dirt where I always tried to grow flowers under the deck overhang. Now it is completely filled in with ground cover and black eyed susan daisies, in his favorite spot, where he breathed his last breath in this world.
Cherish your pets and return the unconditional love they show you. It will complete you and fill your life with joy.