Sterling's Silver Alexander
A.K.A.
Alex, Pup Pup, Zander, Alexander Graham Dog, Zander Drax and Doof
Today at 5:12pm CDT my best friend was put to sleep. He has been with me thru sooo very much. I picked him out before he was even old enough to leave his mama and eagrly awaited the day he would be placed on a plane and flown across a majority of the US to my home in San Diego. The day finally arrived and it was off to the airport. When the crate came out, it contained one TERRIFIED dirty puppy. After he was literally pulled out of his crate, towled off the best he could be, we started for home. As the first picture shows, he was all paws and no brain (so i thought). I took 6 months off work to raise him up the way i thought it should be done. Alex proved to be an apt student. He went with me EVERYWHERE. He NEVER had an accident in the house, learned all the basic commands as well as many advanced ones and was always a shoulder to lean on when i needed one, which was more often then i care to admit.
(Fast forward 3 years) One day while playing out in the back yard he yelped and picked up his hind leg, refusing to bear any weight on it. In fine puppy mom form, he was rushed to the vet and the diagnosis, a orn Cruciate Ligament. Oh no! (for those that dont know, it is basically a torn ACL) One to the specialist, after our $350 consultation we were given the news he would need a TPLO (long word for they screw a plate to one bone and attach it to another) to the tune of $4000.00 plus rehab and the knowledge he would probably tear the other one due to relying soo heavily on it. I was distraught and talking to my mom, who checked with her vet and together they found a place out here that could do it for $1200. Off to Texas we went. I left all my stuff in California with the intent to return after his 6 week lay up. One thing led to another and i ended up staying in Texas (now that is always an interesting answer, what brought you to TX? my dog....lol. Not to mention people are always amazed one would leave San Diego for the Texas Panhandle...lol)
(Fast forward a year) My son has come to live with me and i am thankful for it. It has been an adjustment for all involved, pets included. Well, alex has bad hips and knees and one day (we think) lil man leaned on him, well Alex turned and snapped at him. Alex got his arm, but did not break the skin. I explained to my son what i thought had happened and why it happened and what to do to prevent it again (stay off the dog) i also explained that for a dog to bite once it could be a fluke but if he did it again, he would have to be put down. Well this Saturday Alex had his fvorite thing (empty paper towel rolls) and lil man did something (i didnt see it) and Alex bit him again, broke the skin on his forefinger. I cried sooo hard. Alex had now learned the way to stop a child from doing something he didnt like was to bite. Tonight at 5:12 Alex was put down, not because he was a bad dog, not because he was vicious, not because of any reason other than he reacted as a dog will and it is my responsibility as a dog owner to make sure he isnt a liability . It broke my heart to hold him and love him and feel him slip away. There will never be another dog like Alex.
I love you Alex.
REST IN PEACE MY FAITHFUL FRIEND
Today at 5:12pm CDT my best friend was put to sleep. He has been with me thru sooo very much. I picked him out before he was even old enough to leave his mama and eagrly awaited the day he would be placed on a plane and flown across a majority of the US to my home in San Diego. The day finally arrived and it was off to the airport. When the crate came out, it contained one TERRIFIED dirty puppy. After he was literally pulled out of his crate, towled off the best he could be, we started for home. As the first picture shows, he was all paws and no brain (so i thought). I took 6 months off work to raise him up the way i thought it should be done. Alex proved to be an apt student. He went with me EVERYWHERE. He NEVER had an accident in the house, learned all the basic commands as well as many advanced ones and was always a shoulder to lean on when i needed one, which was more often then i care to admit.
(Fast forward 3 years) One day while playing out in the back yard he yelped and picked up his hind leg, refusing to bear any weight on it. In fine puppy mom form, he was rushed to the vet and the diagnosis, a orn Cruciate Ligament. Oh no! (for those that dont know, it is basically a torn ACL) One to the specialist, after our $350 consultation we were given the news he would need a TPLO (long word for they screw a plate to one bone and attach it to another) to the tune of $4000.00 plus rehab and the knowledge he would probably tear the other one due to relying soo heavily on it. I was distraught and talking to my mom, who checked with her vet and together they found a place out here that could do it for $1200. Off to Texas we went. I left all my stuff in California with the intent to return after his 6 week lay up. One thing led to another and i ended up staying in Texas (now that is always an interesting answer, what brought you to TX? my dog....lol. Not to mention people are always amazed one would leave San Diego for the Texas Panhandle...lol)
(Fast forward a year) My son has come to live with me and i am thankful for it. It has been an adjustment for all involved, pets included. Well, alex has bad hips and knees and one day (we think) lil man leaned on him, well Alex turned and snapped at him. Alex got his arm, but did not break the skin. I explained to my son what i thought had happened and why it happened and what to do to prevent it again (stay off the dog) i also explained that for a dog to bite once it could be a fluke but if he did it again, he would have to be put down. Well this Saturday Alex had his fvorite thing (empty paper towel rolls) and lil man did something (i didnt see it) and Alex bit him again, broke the skin on his forefinger. I cried sooo hard. Alex had now learned the way to stop a child from doing something he didnt like was to bite. Tonight at 5:12 Alex was put down, not because he was a bad dog, not because he was vicious, not because of any reason other than he reacted as a dog will and it is my responsibility as a dog owner to make sure he isnt a liability . It broke my heart to hold him and love him and feel him slip away. There will never be another dog like Alex.
I love you Alex.
REST IN PEACE MY FAITHFUL FRIEND
