At 14 1/2 yrs. he was still regal and proud!
Hobo is gone and we are sad. Today is the day I was able to give my dear friend the gift of holding him and stroking him as he went to sleep.
He was the best dog I will ever have and I will miss him very much.
I remember the day that my trainer, Penny, showed us a routine where we were to walk in zig zags and right angles and then toss the dumbell (or something like that), after we did it once, Penny told us to repeat it. I forgot how and Hobo showed me! Both Penny and I were very amazed at such intelligence.
Hobo never had an angry word from me. He just never did anything to make me upset except the time he peed on my chair WHILE I WAS SITTING IN IT!! It was a stuffed rocker and he was 6 months old! I exclaimed, HOBO! WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" I shuffled him outside and left him there for about 10 minutes..............when I looked out the window, the look on his face was unbelievable, he had his beautiful ears at half mast and was seeming to say....."MOM....I'M SO SORRY".. I laughed and that was the end of that! Never again was there a problem in the house.
Hobo's beloved daughter, Keisha left us last year. She had been his constant companion for the last few years since his retirement from active training. They were so cute together and every once in awhile, Keisha would have to totally deck Hobo for his being too much of a "BOY"... (: HE would just get up (from underneath her) , shake himself off and ignore her for a few minutes.
There is an empty spot in our hearts today which only God can fill.
It was a miracle that a friend and employee, Laura, was here and I rode in the back of our van with my dear friend (he loved to ride), he chewed a rawhide bone up until the end and even had it in his mouth when he passed away. I am comforted by the knowledge that this Great dog never suffered. This past weekend, he had lost the use of his hind legs entirely (neurological) and was unable to stand. He would just patiently wait for me to pick him up and carry him outside.
It was a tough thing to let him go , but God is with us. Jesus even set this morning up with HIS grace and mercy for Hobo.
A very dear friend sent me the poem "rainbow bridge" when Hobo left us. Here it is...
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The Rainbow Bridge
There’s a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth.
It’s called the Rainbow Bridge because of it’s many colours.
Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge,
There’s a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet leaves us, she goes to this place.
There’s always food, water and warm spring days.
Those old and frail animals are young again.
Those who have been maimed are made whole again.
They play, jump, and frolic all day with each other.
But there’s one thing missing:
They aren’t with their special person who loved them on earth…
So each day they run and play
Until the day comes when suddenly one stops and looks into the distance:
The nose twitches, the ears prick
The eyes are intense
The body eager and quivering.
Suddenly, she runs from the group
flying over the green grass
legs carrying her faster and faster……
You have come and your special friend leaps to greet you:
Happy kisses rain upon your face and hands.
You look once again into the trusting eyes
your hands caressing the beloved head
stroking the silken ears so long gone from your life
but never
never from your heart…
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together
never again to be separated……
