Duke Faddis
The following is a rewrite of a story about the life and death of one of our family’s pets which I wrote a couple of days after he passed away:
Our family’s beautiful, good, and kind dog, Duke, had to be put to sleep on June 1, 2010. His hips just gave out on him due to arthritis, in spite of the fact he was only about five years old.
Duke was the best dog we could ever have asked for. He was friendly to all (except cats, squirrels and the cocky bulldog, Hank, who lived down the street). Duke patrolled his domain (our backyard), ever watching to protect us. Not even low-flying aircraft were safe from him. Police helicopters and airplanes fled his barking. Duke fully believed he was the protector of our family and was always eager to prove it (especially if he thought one of us was watching). He would run out to bark at enemies real or imagined.
Duke greatly loved us and we loved him. He was a big, 100+ lb., slobbery red-nosed pit bull who thought he was a seven lb. lap dog. Some people walked across the street to avoid him when they saw him due to his size and looks, but had they known how gentle he really was, they would have laughed at themselves for their unwarranted fear. Getting “slimed” by Duke was annoying, but it is something, now that he’s gone, doesn’t seem so bad a thing.
Duke did not really know he was a dog; he thought he was a human. He preferred our food as opposed to dog food and often would not eat dog food unless some human food was mixed into it. Most of the time he patiently waited for his humans to share their food until he realized he wasn’t going to happen (but sometimes it did.) Finally, he’d go to his bowl and eat his food. He also loved eating avocados, persimmons and Asian pears from the trees in our backyard. He could jump so high if he wanted to get a treat for himself off one of those trees. He was an amazing animal in so many ways.
Duke was even tolerant of and patient with his two primary tormenters, our grandsons, Luca and Logan who pulled his ears, wrestled him, tried to ride and often laid or sat on him. He never once growled at them and when he got tired of their wallowing on him, he would just get up and go somewhere else.
Duke loved to be taken on walks and his excitement came out in the form of a sound like barking, whining, and screaming all put together. The neighbors must have thought we were beating our dog because the sound he emitted was so pitiful. He would run and jump around, making that sound until he and his “walker” finally got out the door. He had an uncanny way of knowing that a walk was coming, sometimes even before the “walker” knew a walk was in the offing.
I always believed we would have our friend with us for at least a dozen years, but I was wrong. We hurt so badly right now and the tears flow freely from the loss of our beloved Duke. The good thing is that we have so many great memories of our good friend. Goodbye, buddy.
Our family’s beautiful, good, and kind dog, Duke, had to be put to sleep on June 1, 2010. His hips just gave out on him due to arthritis, in spite of the fact he was only about five years old.
Duke was the best dog we could ever have asked for. He was friendly to all (except cats, squirrels and the cocky bulldog, Hank, who lived down the street). Duke patrolled his domain (our backyard), ever watching to protect us. Not even low-flying aircraft were safe from him. Police helicopters and airplanes fled his barking. Duke fully believed he was the protector of our family and was always eager to prove it (especially if he thought one of us was watching). He would run out to bark at enemies real or imagined.
Duke greatly loved us and we loved him. He was a big, 100+ lb., slobbery red-nosed pit bull who thought he was a seven lb. lap dog. Some people walked across the street to avoid him when they saw him due to his size and looks, but had they known how gentle he really was, they would have laughed at themselves for their unwarranted fear. Getting “slimed” by Duke was annoying, but it is something, now that he’s gone, doesn’t seem so bad a thing.
Duke did not really know he was a dog; he thought he was a human. He preferred our food as opposed to dog food and often would not eat dog food unless some human food was mixed into it. Most of the time he patiently waited for his humans to share their food until he realized he wasn’t going to happen (but sometimes it did.) Finally, he’d go to his bowl and eat his food. He also loved eating avocados, persimmons and Asian pears from the trees in our backyard. He could jump so high if he wanted to get a treat for himself off one of those trees. He was an amazing animal in so many ways.
Duke was even tolerant of and patient with his two primary tormenters, our grandsons, Luca and Logan who pulled his ears, wrestled him, tried to ride and often laid or sat on him. He never once growled at them and when he got tired of their wallowing on him, he would just get up and go somewhere else.
Duke loved to be taken on walks and his excitement came out in the form of a sound like barking, whining, and screaming all put together. The neighbors must have thought we were beating our dog because the sound he emitted was so pitiful. He would run and jump around, making that sound until he and his “walker” finally got out the door. He had an uncanny way of knowing that a walk was coming, sometimes even before the “walker” knew a walk was in the offing.
I always believed we would have our friend with us for at least a dozen years, but I was wrong. We hurt so badly right now and the tears flow freely from the loss of our beloved Duke. The good thing is that we have so many great memories of our good friend. Goodbye, buddy.
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